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Judge Weighs Jurisdiction in Case of Detained Tufts Student
A federal judge in Boston heard arguments Thursday in the case of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish Fulbright Scholar and Tufts University Ph.D. student detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week. Ozturk was transferred to an ICE detention center in Basile, Louisiana, shortly after her arrest in Massachusetts.
The central question before Judge Denise Casper was whether the Massachusetts court holds jurisdiction over Ozturk’s habeas corpus petition, which seeks to prevent her removal from both Massachusetts and the United States. The government argued that because Ozturk is now in Louisiana, the case should be heard there. Ozturk’s attorneys countered that ICE deliberately moved her out of state to complicate legal challenges, noting that they were not informed of her whereabouts for several hours after her arrest.
The judge acknowledged the complexity of the jurisdictional issue and stated she would consider the matter further.
Ozturk’s attorney accused ICE of “forum shopping” and attempting to circumvent legal proceedings. A sworn statement from a Department of Homeland Security official detailed Ozturk’s transfer through New Hampshire and Vermont before her arrival in Louisiana. The court order barring her removal from Massachusetts was issued while she was in Vermont, raising the possibility of that state as another potential venue.
Ozturk was detained on March 25 on her way to a Ramadan Iftar dinner. Surveillance footage shows plainclothes ICE agents, seemingly wearing masks, apprehending her. Her detention appears connected to her public expression of pro-Palestinian views, aligning with other recent cases of student visa revocations.
Tufts University President Sunil Kumar submitted a declaration supporting Ozturk, asserting the university has no information supporting the allegations against her and emphasizing her right to due process. Kumar also highlighted that Ozturk co-authored an op-ed in the student newspaper urging the university to divest from companies with ties to Israel, an action he stated was protected under university free speech policies. He requested Ozturk’s return to Tufts to complete her studies.
While a Homeland Security spokesperson previously claimed Ozturk engaged in activities supporting Hamas, no specific details about these alleged activities were provided in court filings. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently praised the administration’s cancellation of over 300 student visas, arguing that these visas are for academic pursuits, not social activism.