Court Orders ICE Transfer for Tufts Student Ozturk Amid Deportation Fight

A federal appeals court has ordered that Rumeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University detained by ICE in Louisiana, be transferred to Vermont to allow her to contest her detention and possible deportation in person. Öztürk was arrested after her student visa was revoked, following her co-authorship of an op-ed critical of Tufts University's response to Israel's actions in Gaza. Her attorneys argue that her detention is an act of retaliation violating her free speech and due process rights. The government had sought to keep her in Louisiana, citing administrative costs and jurisdictional arguments, but the court found the potential harm to Öztürk outweighed these concerns. The ruling enables Öztürk to participate directly in Vermont hearings regarding the legality of her detention, while allowing immigration proceedings in Louisiana to continue remotely. The case highlights broader concerns over the treatment of international students who express critical views on contentious geopolitical issues.