Press Release
Tufts Doctoral Student Detained Amid Controversial Circumstances
April 29, 2025 – Boston, MA – Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student from Tufts University, has been held in immigration detention for five weeks, leading to widespread protests and legal actions. Ozturk was taken into custody by immigration officials on March 25 and shifted to a Louisiana detention center.
On April 29, the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals stayed a Vermont district judge’s order that required Ozturk’s transfer back to New England for hearings regarding her detention’s legality. The court plans to hear arguments on May 6 regarding an emergency motion filed by the Justice Department, which contends that the immigration court in Louisiana has jurisdiction over her case.
Ozturk’s legal team argues that her detention violates her constitutional rights, including freedom of speech and due process. They are contesting the government’s assertion that she engaged in supporting Hamas activities, a claim lacking substantial evidence.
Ozturk’s situation gained attention after she co-authored an op-ed in The Tufts Daily criticizing the university’s response to student activism concerning Palestinian issues, raising questions about potential political motivations behind her detention.
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