Tufts Student Freed After Judge Cites Rights Violations

Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, has been released from ICE detention in Louisiana after a federal judge found her due process and free speech rights were violated. Ozturk had been detained for over six weeks following her co-authorship of an op-ed critical of Tufts University's response to the Israel-Gaza war. U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III ruled the government failed to justify her arrest beyond the op-ed and imposed no travel restrictions. Ozturk returned to Massachusetts, where she was welcomed by supporters and lawmakers, and her case has highlighted concerns about immigration enforcement targeting international students engaged in political activism. Lawmakers and advocates have used her case to address ongoing civil liberties issues. Ozturk plans to continue her legal fight while resuming her doctoral studies.