A federal judge on Friday ordered the case of Rumeysa Ozturk , a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University , to be moved from Massachusetts to Vermont , where she was briefly held after her arrest by immigration officers last week.
Ozturk’s lawyers had filed a petition for her release in Boston, but the department of justice sought to dismiss it or shift it to Louisiana , where she is currently detained.
US district judge Denise Casper ruled Vermont was the appropriate venue since Ozturk was held overnight in St Albans, Vermont, when the habeas petition was filed. “Here, because Ozturk was confined overnight in Vermont when the petition was filed, the District of Vermont is the proper transferee court,” Casper wrote in her decision, as per news agency AP.
Casper rejected the government’s argument that the case should be moved to Louisiana, stating the transfer to Vermont serves “the interest of justice.” She also blocked any attempt to remove Ozturk from the US until Vermont courts decide on jurisdiction.
According to NBC News, the deportation ban remains in place unless lifted by the transferee court.
Ozturk was arrested on March 25 in Somerville, Massachusetts, after her student visa was revoked. Footage showed Homeland Security agents in plain clothes surrounding her and placing her in a vehicle as she screamed. After stops in New Hampshire and Vermont, she was flown to Louisiana the next day.
Ozturk’s lawyers said her sudden arrest and cross-state transfer were attempts to manipulate jurisdiction and prevent her from challenging her detention. Judge Casper acknowledged this concern, writing that “the irregularity of the arrest, detention and processing… is coupled with the failure to disclose Ozturk's whereabouts” even after the government knew she had legal representation.
As per CBS News, the department of homeland security has accused Ozturk, without offering evidence, of supporting Hamas, which the US classifies as a terrorist organisation. However, her lawyers argue that her detention violates her First Amendment rights and due process protections.
Ozturk had co-authored a Tufts Daily op-ed last year criticising the university’s stance on student resolutions calling for divestment from companies linked to Israel.
On Thursday, her attorney released a statement from Ozturk in which she reaffirmed her commitment to justice and dialogue: “I believe the world is a more beautiful and peaceful place when we listen to each other and allow different perspectives to be in the room.”
“Let’s be clear: Rumeysa should never have been arrested or detained by ICE in the first place,” said her lawyer Mahsa Khanbabai, as per AP. “What matters most right now is our continued fight to ensure her immediate release and safe return home”, Khanbabai added.
Ozturk’s lawyers had filed a petition for her release in Boston, but the department of justice sought to dismiss it or shift it to Louisiana , where she is currently detained.
US district judge Denise Casper ruled Vermont was the appropriate venue since Ozturk was held overnight in St Albans, Vermont, when the habeas petition was filed. “Here, because Ozturk was confined overnight in Vermont when the petition was filed, the District of Vermont is the proper transferee court,” Casper wrote in her decision, as per news agency AP.
Casper rejected the government’s argument that the case should be moved to Louisiana, stating the transfer to Vermont serves “the interest of justice.” She also blocked any attempt to remove Ozturk from the US until Vermont courts decide on jurisdiction.
According to NBC News, the deportation ban remains in place unless lifted by the transferee court.
Ozturk was arrested on March 25 in Somerville, Massachusetts, after her student visa was revoked. Footage showed Homeland Security agents in plain clothes surrounding her and placing her in a vehicle as she screamed. After stops in New Hampshire and Vermont, she was flown to Louisiana the next day.
Ozturk’s lawyers said her sudden arrest and cross-state transfer were attempts to manipulate jurisdiction and prevent her from challenging her detention. Judge Casper acknowledged this concern, writing that “the irregularity of the arrest, detention and processing… is coupled with the failure to disclose Ozturk's whereabouts” even after the government knew she had legal representation.
As per CBS News, the department of homeland security has accused Ozturk, without offering evidence, of supporting Hamas, which the US classifies as a terrorist organisation. However, her lawyers argue that her detention violates her First Amendment rights and due process protections.
Ozturk had co-authored a Tufts Daily op-ed last year criticising the university’s stance on student resolutions calling for divestment from companies linked to Israel.
On Thursday, her attorney released a statement from Ozturk in which she reaffirmed her commitment to justice and dialogue: “I believe the world is a more beautiful and peaceful place when we listen to each other and allow different perspectives to be in the room.”
“Let’s be clear: Rumeysa should never have been arrested or detained by ICE in the first place,” said her lawyer Mahsa Khanbabai, as per AP. “What matters most right now is our continued fight to ensure her immediate release and safe return home”, Khanbabai added.
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