Turkish PhD student in the US freed after judge orders release from 6-week long immigration custody

Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish citizen and PhD student at Tufts University, was released from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody yesterday, ending a six-week detention that had sparked widespread protest and legal challenge. Her release came just hours after a federal judge in Vermont ordered her to be freed without monitoring or travel restrictions.

Öztürk, who studies child development, was detained by immigration authorities in March after her F-1 student visa was revoked by the Trump administration. The revocation was based on claims from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE that she had been involved in activities potentially harmful to US foreign policy. These allegations included co-authoring an opinion piece that sympathised with a campus organisation later temporarily banned. According to a State Department memo, her visa was cancelled immediately following a review by the Bureau of Consular Affairs.

The opinion piece, published in a student newspaper in 2023, criticised Tufts University’s response to the war in Gaza. Öztürk’s detention followed her involvement in pro-Palestinian activism and was part of a broader crackdown on international students participating in such protests. Similar actions had previously targeted other scholars, such as Mahmoud Khalil and Badar Khan Suri.

A dramatic video of Öztürk’s arrest on March 25 showed armed officers detaining her near her home in Somerville, Massachusetts. The footage, widely circulated online, drew outrage and intensified scrutiny of the administration’s approach. After being taken into custody, she was moved across multiple states and eventually held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile. Her lawyers reported she suffered repeated asthma attacks during detention and did not receive adequate medical care.

The American Civil Liberties Union and another rights group, CLEAR (Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility), led Öztürk’s legal challenge by filing a habeas corpus petition in Vermont. They argued that she was targeted for her political views, clearly violating constitutionally protected freedom of speech. 

Öztürk has not been charged with any crime, and during the court proceedings, federal authorities failed to present concrete evidence linking her to any banned activities or organisations.

US District Judge William K. Sessions III presided over a lengthy hearing in which Öztürk and several witnesses testified. The judge stated that she had raised substantial claims related to constitutional violations and pointed out that, apart from the newspaper article, no evidence had been submitted to justify her detention. He also acknowledged that her health had worsened due to incarceration, particularly as she suffered from asthma and had experienced attacks without timely medical intervention.

Sessions ruled that Öztürk did not pose a threat to the community or a flight risk and therefore should be released on her own recognisance. He rejected attempts by ICE to impose an ankle monitor prior to her release, saying there was no justification for such a measure.

Despite the court order, ICE allegedly attempted to delay Öztürk’s release. However, she eventually walked free from the detention centre, greeted by a group of supporters. Her legal representatives said she was looking forward to returning to Massachusetts and resuming her academic work.

Tufts faculty also spoke in support of Öztürk, emphasising her importance to the university’s academic community. Dr Sara Johnson, her PhD adviser, testified that Öztürk played a vital role in her research group and was known for her intellectual rigour.

The judge instructed Öztürk to check in regularly with a community justice organisation in Burlington, Vermont, to support her reintegration after what he described as a traumatic experience.

Following the hearing, Öztürk expressed gratitude to her supporters and said, “I am a little bit tired, so I will take some rest, but I really appreciate you being here.”

Middle East