A federal judge in Vermont on Friday ordered the immediate release of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University Ph.D. student from Turkey who was detained by U.S. immigration agents for six weeks following the publication of a pro-Palestinian op-ed she co-authored in the campus newspaper.
Öztürk, 29, was arrested on March 25 by plainclothes Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers near her home in the Boston area. She had not been charged with any crime. Her detention prompted widespread protests, drawing criticism from civil rights advocates who said the move raised serious concerns over free speech and due process.
Judge William Sessions issued the release order on May 9, allowing Öztürk to leave the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana, on a personal recognizance bond. "I am relieved and ecstatic that Rümeysa has been ordered released," said her attorney Mahsa Khanbabai. "Unfortunately, it is 45 days too late."
Öztürk's arrest came a year after she co-wrote a student op-ed critical of Tufts University's handling of the war in Gaza. ICE and Department of Justice attorneys offered no evidence in court to support claims from the Trump administration that she had engaged in activities supporting Hamas.
"When did speaking up against oppression become a crime? When did speaking up against genocide become something to be imprisoned for?" Khanbabai asked in a statement.
Court documents related to Öztürk's case remain sealed, and Sessions' full order was not publicly available. Öztürk was first detained in Massachusetts before being transferred to Vermont and eventually to Louisiana, where the administration has sent numerous international detainees.
The Trump administration has targeted international students who have participated in or voiced support for pro-Palestinian protests, with over 1,000 student visas revoked. Many of those visa revocations appeared to be unrelated to protest activity and are now temporarily suspended.
