Tufts Turkish PhD Student Released From ICE Detention, Legal Battle Continues

Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish PhD student at Tufts University, was released after more than six weeks in ICE detention following her arrest near her Massachusetts home. Her detention came after she co-authored an op-ed criticizing Tufts University's response to the war in Gaza and advocating for Palestinian rights, which her lawyers argue was a punitive measure infringing on her First Amendment rights. A federal judge ordered her release, finding no evidence that she was a flight risk or danger to the community, and criticized the government's lack of justification beyond her op-ed. Upon her return to Boston, Ozturk expressed gratitude for the support she received and vowed to continue pursuing justice through the courts. She was welcomed by members of Congress, including Senator Edward Markey and Representative Ayanna Pressley, who condemned her detention as an injustice and a suppression of dissent. Ozturk emphasized her commitment to finishing her doctoral studies and maintaining faith in the American justice system despite the ordeal.