Tufts Student’s ICE Detention Draws Free Speech Outcry

Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, remains detained by ICE in Louisiana after a federal immigration judge denied her bond, citing concerns she is a flight risk and a danger to the community. Öztürk’s attorneys argue her detention is retaliation for co-authoring a pro-Palestinian op-ed, violating her rights to free speech and due process, while the government has provided no evidence beyond a memorandum referencing the op-ed. Her visa was revoked without notice prior to her arrest by masked ICE agents in Massachusetts, and she was transferred across several states before arriving in Louisiana. Öztürk has not been charged with any crime, and her case has drawn support from legal advocates and some Jewish groups, who view it as part of a broader crackdown on campus free speech. Her legal team is seeking her release or transfer to Vermont, citing health concerns and constitutional violations. The federal court in Vermont has barred her deportation until further order, as legal proceedings continue.