Detained Turkish Tufts Student Wins Court Transfer to Vermont/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A federal appeals court has ordered ICE to transfer Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, from Louisiana to Vermont for hearings on whether her detention violates her constitutional rights. Ozturk has been in custody since March after criticizing Tufts’ stance on Gaza. The court ruled her transfer must happen by May 14.
Detained Tufts Student Case Quick Looks
- Student Involved: Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University.
- Court Decision: 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ordered transfer from Louisiana to Vermont.
- Hearing Purpose: To determine if her ICE detention violates free speech and due process rights.
- Deadline: Ozturk must be transferred to Vermont ICE custody by May 14.
- DOJ Argument: Claimed Louisiana has jurisdiction over her case.
- Reason for Detention: Linked to op-ed criticizing Tufts’ response to Gaza conflict.
- Homeland Security Allegation: Claims she supported Hamas; no evidence publicly provided.
- Legal Significance: Case highlights growing tension over immigration enforcement and campus activism.
Deep Look: Turkish Tufts Student to Be Transferred for Rights Hearings After ICE Detention
A federal appeals court has ruled that Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University detained for over six weeks by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), must be transferred from a Louisiana detention facility to Vermont. The order comes as Ozturk challenges her detention, arguing it violates her constitutional rights to free speech and due process.
The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York issued the decision on Wednesday after hearing arguments from Ozturk’s legal team and the U.S. Justice Department. The panel upheld a lower court order from Vermont, directing that she be returned to the state to participate in hearings scheduled to examine whether her ICE detention was lawful.
Under the order, ICE must move Ozturk to Vermont custody no later than May 14.
A Controversial Detention Rooted in Campus Speech
Ozturk, age 30, became the focus of federal immigration enforcement after she co-authored an op-ed in The Tufts Daily, the university’s campus newspaper, in 2024. The piece criticized Tufts University’s handling of student activism surrounding Israel’s war in Gaza and urged the administration to acknowledge what the students described as a “Palestinian genocide.” The op-ed also called for transparency in investments and for the university to divest from companies tied to Israel.
On March 25, Ozturk was detained while walking in a Boston suburb. ICE agents took her across state lines to New Hampshire and Vermont before flying her to a detention facility in Basile, Louisiana, where she has remained since.
The Department of Homeland Security later alleged—without presenting public evidence—that Ozturk had engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. Ozturk and her attorneys have denied any such affiliation and say the government’s action is a politically motivated retaliation for protected speech.
Dispute Over Jurisdiction and Constitutional Rights
The Justice Department appealed the Vermont court’s initial order, arguing that because Ozturk is being held in Louisiana, any legal proceedings should fall under that jurisdiction. But the appellate court sided with the district judge in Vermont, agreeing that the issue of potential rights violations warrants a hearing where Ozturk previously resided and studied.
Her legal team says her detention reflects a violation of core constitutional rights, asserting that she was targeted not for any actual threat, but for voicing dissent against U.S. ally Israel in an academic context.
Broader Implications for Civil Liberties and Campus Expression
The case has drawn attention from immigration advocates and civil liberties groups, who see it as a test case for the intersection of immigration enforcement, political speech, and academic freedom. Critics argue that the government’s handling of Ozturk’s case may set a dangerous precedent for foreign students and activists in the U.S.
With the appeals court’s ruling, Ozturk now has a legal pathway to challenge her detention in a forum that is more accessible to her legal counsel, academic community, and supporters.
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