A federal judge has ordered that Tufts University student Rumeysa Öztürk, a Turkish national on a visa, who is fighting deportation must be transferred back to Vermont from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Louisiana. Judge William K. Sessions III allowed four days for the government to appeal his ruling. Öztürk was arrested for writing an essay supporting Hamas in the war in Gaza in 2024. The judge found that her arrest and detention raised constitutional concerns. Her attorneys argued that advocating for human rights should not result in imprisonment, and criticized the government for manipulating where her case was heard to achieve a preferred outcome. The ruling allows Öztürk to remain in custody in Vermont while her habeas petition and removal case proceed in federal and immigration courts. The Trump administration is targeting international students for deportation for protesting Israel’s actions in the war against Hamas. Tufts University has defended Öztürk, stating that her essay did not violate university policies and was in line with its support for free speech. The university leadership has petitioned for her release. The Department of Justice declined to comment on the case.
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