A US judge on Friday ordered the immediate release of Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk, who was detained by federal authorities during President Donald Trump’s clampdown on pro-Palestinian activism at American universities.
Judge William Sessions ruled that Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University in Massachusetts, should not remain in detention while her deportation case proceeds. Her student visa was revoked by the US State Department after she co-authored an article in The Tufts Daily that criticised the university’s response to student protests over Israel’s war in Gaza.
Footage showing masked agents arresting Ozturk on a public street on March 25 caused a backlash on social media and sparked renewed concerns over free speech and due process under the Trump administration.
During Friday’s virtual hearing, Judge Sessions said that holding Ozturk in custody had wider implications for civil liberties. “Her continued detention potentially chills the speech of millions of non-citizens in this country,” he said, warning that others may be silenced out of fear of arrest. He added: “The court finds that her continued detention cannot stand.”
Ozturk appeared via video from a detention centre in Louisiana, where she had been held for 45 days. The judge placed no restrictions on her movement, allowing her to return to Massachusetts as she awaits the outcome of her immigration case.
Although Ozturk still faces possible deportation, Tufts University has supported her throughout the ordeal, calling for her immediate return to continue her Ph.D in child development.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, which is representing her, welcomed the judge’s ruling. ACLU legal director Jessie Rossman said Ozturk had suffered worsening asthma during her detention and accused the government of failing to justify her incarceration. “We won’t stop fighting until she is free for good,” she added.
Ozturk is among several international students who have faced immigration action over their pro-Palestinian stances, as Trump intensifies his efforts to penalise foreign nationals involved in campus protests. Critics say the measures are punitive and threaten freedom of expression, while supporters argue they are necessary to maintain order and protect Jewish students.
