Federal Judge Halts Deportation of Turkish PhD Student, Rumeyse Öztürk, Amid Free Speech Concerns

Rümeysa Öztürk, a 30-year-old Turkish PhD student at Tufts University and a former Fulbright scholar, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Tuesday, March 26, 2025, near her home in Somerville, Massachusetts. She was on her way to an iftar dinner to break her Ramadan fast. The arrest was reportedly linked to an article she co-authored in March 2024 criticizing Israel, which drew attention from Canary Mission, a pro-Israel organization known for blacklisting pro-Palestine activists123.

Following her arrest, Öztürk was initially detained in Massachusetts but was later transferred to Louisiana without her lawyers being informed, despite a court order requiring prior notice35. Her lawyers, including the ACLU, filed a habeas corpus petition challenging her detention as unconstitutional and violating her free speech rights35.

On March 29, 2025, a Massachusetts federal judge, Denise Casper, halted Öztürk’s deportation pending a court decision on jurisdiction, effectively postponing her removal until April 112. The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, confirmed the revocation of Öztürk’s student visa, stating that she was not supposed to engage in activism while in the U.S. on a student visa12. Despite these developments, Öztürk has not been formally charged with any crime36.

There are several students in situations similar to Rumeysa Öztürk’s. The Trump administration has been actively targeting international students involved in pro-Palestinian activism on U.S. campuses. Here are some notable cases:

1. Mahmoud Khalil: A Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University, Khalil was arrested and had his green card revoked due to his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests. He is currently being held in Louisiana without formal charges124.

2. Leqaa Kordia: A Palestinian student from the West Bank, Kordia was arrested in New Jersey. Her student visa was terminated in 2022, and she was previously arrested for participating in protests at Columbia University7.

3. Ranjani Srinivasan: An Indian doctoral candidate at Columbia, Srinivasan’s visa was revoked due to her participation in protests. She managed to avoid detention by leaving for Canada3710.

4. Yunseo Chung: A 21-year-old permanent resident and student at Columbia, Chung was targeted for deportation due to her involvement in pro-Palestinian protests. A federal judge temporarily blocked her detention58.

5. Alireza Doroudi: An Iranian doctoral student at the University of Alabama, Doroudi was detained by ICE without clear justification for his arrest12.

These cases highlight a broader trend of targeting students for their political views, particularly those supporting Palestinian causes, which is seen as an assault on free speech rights313.