Federal Judge Orders Release of Tufts Student Detained by ICE

A federal judge ordered the immediate release of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish Ph.D. student at Tufts University, from immigration detention, ruling her arrest unlawful and a violation of her First Amendment and due process rights. Öztürk was detained after co-authoring a pro-Palestinian op-ed, with the government basing its case solely on her protected speech, which the judge found insufficient. Her detention drew criticism from labor unions, civil rights groups, and Massachusetts politicians, who highlighted her asthma attacks and the lack of justification for her confinement. The ruling was seen as a rebuke to the Trump administration's aggressive visa revocation policy targeting foreign students who criticize U.S. foreign policy, particularly regarding Israel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who revoked Öztürk's visa, defended the government's actions, while the ACLU and others hailed the decision as a victory for free speech and justice. Öztürk is now free to return to Massachusetts, resume her studies, and continue her academic work.