A federal judge has ordered that Tufts University student Rumeysa Öztürk, who faces deportation for writing an essay about Israel and the war in Gaza, be transferred back to Vermont. Judge William K. Sessions III stayed his order for four days to allow the government to appeal. Öztürk, a 30-year-old Turkish national on a visa, is currently held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Louisiana. The judge rejected the government’s attempt to dismiss her habeas petition, citing significant constitutional concerns with her arrest and detention. Öztürk was arrested in March for allegedly supporting Hamas in an essay she co-wrote in 2024 that called for Tufts to acknowledge the Palestinian genocide. Her attorneys argue that advocating for human rights should not lead to imprisonment, and claim the government is manipulating her case to achieve a favorable outcome. Meanwhile, Tufts University has defended Öztürk and petitioned for her release, stating that the essay did not violate its policies on free speech. The Trump administration is targeting international students like Öztürk for deportation based on their actions protesting Israel’s conduct in the conflict with Hamas. The Department of Justice declined to comment on the ruling. Öztürk will remain in custody in Vermont while her habeas petition and removal case are heard in federal and immigration courts respectively.
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