Tufts University’s Rumeysa Ozturk Suffers Health Crisis in Immigration Detention
May 5, 2025
BOSTON — Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student from Tufts University, faces deteriorating health while in immigration detention. Since her arrest on March 25 in Somerville, Massachusetts, Ozturk has suffered at least eight asthma attacks. She reports feeling unable to manage her coughing and claims that conditions at the Louisiana detention center hinder her access to proper medical care.
Ozturk’s current legal battle centers around her detention, which she argues infringes on her constitutional rights, including free speech and due process. A federal judge in Vermont had previously ordered her transfer for hearings on her detention’s legality, but the Justice Department appeals that ruling, asserting jurisdiction lies with the immigration court in Louisiana.
Ozturk alleges that crowding, lack of clean air, and unsanitary conditions, including the presence of mice, exacerbate her asthma. The Department of Homeland Security claims that Ozturk is linked to activities supporting Hamas, a designation she strongly denies.
Her case has sparked public outcry and raised questions about the treatment of individuals in U.S. immigration facilities. A federal panel is expected to hear arguments Tuesday regarding her potential transfer to Vermont for further hearings.
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