A US judge has ordered that Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University detained by immigration authorities after her visa was revoked over a pro-Palestinian op-ed she co-wrote, be transferred from a Louisiana detention facility to Vermont by May 1, according to US media reports.
US District Judge William K. Sessions III issued the order on Friday, stating that Öztürk has presented “significant evidence” suggesting violations of her First and Fifth Amendment rights.
Öztürk, 30, was arrested on March 25 near her home in Somerville, Massachusetts, by plainclothes ICE agents.
Her detention followed the revocation of her student visa, which the US State Department attributed to her co-authorship of a campus newspaper op-ed criticizing Tufts University’s response to student activism related to the Gaza conflict.
The op-ed called for the university to acknowledge the Palestinian genocide and to divest from companies linked to Israel.
Her detention is part of a broader crackdown in the US on anti-Israel criticism that comes amid an international outcry over the country’s military campaign in Gaza. Since October 2023 over 51,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to health authorities in the besieged enclave.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch classify Israel’s actions as genocide. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. A separate genocide case brought by South Africa is underway at the International Court of Justice.
After her arrest, Öztürk was transported through several states before being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, a facility known for inadequate medical care.
Her legal team has raised concerns about her health, noting that she has suffered multiple asthma attacks while in detention.
In a separate immigration proceeding, a judge denied her bond request, labeling her a flight risk and a danger to the community.
Judge Sessions has scheduled a bail hearing for May 9 and a hearing on the merits of her habeas corpus petition for May 22.
Öztürk’s case has become a focal point in debates over free speech and academic freedom, with critics accusing the administration of President Donald Trump of targeting pro-Palestinian activists on US campuses.
Tufts University President Sunil Kumar and over two dozen Jewish organizations have expressed concern about her detention, emphasizing the importance of protecting constitutional rights.
The US Department of Homeland Security has not provided evidence linking Öztürk to any criminal activity beyond her published writings.
Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), told Turkish Minute that Öztürk’s detention is part of a broader effort by the US government to quash criticism of Israel.
Whitson said the Trump administration is using visa revocations, detentions and threats of deportation to create a climate of fear for those who speak out in support of Palestinian rights.
She warned that once the government begins punishing speech about Palestine, no other form of dissent will be safe.