A federal judge has ordered Turkish PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk to return to Vermont. She will remain in custody while awaiting a bail hearing. Agents from the US Department of Homeland Security arrested her near Tufts University in Massachusetts last month after her F-1 student visa was revoked.
Authorities first held Ozturk in Vermont, then transferred her to an ICE facility in Louisiana on 26 March. ICE claimed that detention centres in New England lacked space. However, Ozturk’s legal team disputed this, saying local centres had room and the move broke standard procedures. On 30 March, a judge temporarily stopped her deportation.
Jurisdiction dispute moves case to Vermont
Ozturk’s lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition in Massachusetts. This type of petition challenges the legality of detention. Because she was being held in Vermont, the court in Massachusetts didn’t have the authority to rule on the case.
Judge William Sessions III of Vermont explained that the case was correctly moved under federal law. This law allows cases to transfer to a court that had the authority to hear them at the start. He said bringing Ozturk back to Vermont would help ensure a fair and timely process. Her legal team and potential witnesses are based in the region. The ACLU of Massachusetts supported the decision, calling it a step that keeps her closer to her community and counsel.
Free speech concerns at centre of case
This case is part of a wider debate about student detentions in the US DHS and ICE said they revoked Ozturk’s visa due to alleged links with a group on the US terrorism list. They also cited behaviour they believe creates a hostile environment for Jewish students.
Tufts University and several state and local officials pushed back. They argued that Ozturk had exercised her right to free speech, which applies to both citizens and non-citizens. Both sides referred to an opinion piece she co-wrote in the university paper as a key issue.
