Appeals Court Orders Detained Tufts Student Return to Vermont

A federal appeals court has ordered that Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University detained by ICE in Louisiana, be transferred to Vermont for hearings on the legality of her detention. The case centers on whether Ozturk's constitutional rights, including free speech and due process, were violated—especially given her recent public criticism of Tufts' response to calls for divestment from companies linked to Israel. Ozturk was arrested in a Boston suburb and transported across several states without her attorneys knowing her location for over 24 hours, prompting concerns about government transparency and operational security. The Justice Department had argued her case should remain in Louisiana under immigration court jurisdiction, but the appeals court rejected this, requiring her transfer by May 14. The decision follows significant public protest and support for Ozturk, as well as scrutiny from Massachusetts lawmakers. The outcome of her Vermont hearings could set a precedent for how free speech is weighed in immigration detention cases.