The Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University in the US returned to Boston after spending more than six weeks at a Louisiana immigration detention center, what her lawyers call a politically motivated crackdown on freedom of speech.
Upon arriving at Boston Logan International Airport, Rumeysa Ozturk told reporters on Saturday that he was excited to return to studying during the “very difficult” period.
“In the last 45 days, I have lost both freedom and education during a critical period in my doctoral program,” she said. “But I am very grateful for all the support, kindness and care.”
A federal judge on Friday ordered her release, waiting for a final decision on her allegations that she was in illegal custody.
Ozturk, 30, was taken into custody when immigration officers arrested her in Massachusetts on March 25, revoked her student visa and transferred her to a Louisiana detention facility.
Supporters believe that Torkier’s Fulbright scholar Ozturk co-authored an opinion piece in the student newspaper and called on Tufts University to recognize Israeli war with Gaza as a genocide.
The genocide case against Israel is ongoing in the International Court of Justice. Last week, former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused Israel of committing genocide.
Ozturk was joined by her lawyer and two Democrats in the Massachusetts Legislature, Sen. Edward Markey and Ayana Presley.
“Today is a tremendous day, Lumessa, as I welcome you,” Marquie said. “You are so proud of the way you fought millions of people across our country.”
Oztzurku’s attorney said her visa had been revoked without notice and was not permitted to contact the attorney for more than a day after her arrest.
Appearing in court via video on Friday, Ozturk spoke about her worsening health, including serious asthma attacks in custody and her hopes to continue her doctoral research into children and social media.
US District Judge William Sessions granted Oztalc’s bail and said she did not present any risks or risks to the general public. He found that her claim of illegal detention raised serious constitutional questions, including a potential violation of her rights to free speech and legitimate processes.
The Oztulk incident highlights practices that have become common under President Donald Trump’s administration. Foreign students were arrested and hundreds of student visas have been revoked due to ProPalestinian views.
Mahmoud Khalil, who led the protest against Israeli war with Gaza at Columbia University in New York, was one of the first students to be detained by immigration and customs enforcement on March 8th. He is in custody.
The Trump administration has been accused of blending criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism.
A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security has previously denounced Ozturk without evidence that he supports Hamas, which was previously designated by the United States as a “terrorist” group.
Oztark denied the misconduct and said she would continue to pursue her lawsuit. “I believe in the American system of justice,” she said.
Her legal battle continues in Vermont, and immigration hearings will proceed separately in Louisiana, where she may take part remotely.
Video of her arrest saw a masked plain cross officer taking her from a street outside of Boston in Somerville, Massachusetts, going viral, sending chills to US college campuses.
Her lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union argued that her arrest and detention was protected by the first amendment to the US Constitution and was illegally designed to punish her to cool off the speeches of others.
Presley, who visited Ozturk while she was in custody, along with two other Democrats from Congress from Massachusetts, said she was detained in a “sick and inhumane situation” and denied proper medical care for the worsening asthma attack.
“Lumesa’s experience was not merely a cruel act. It was a deliberate and coordinated attempt to intimidate and incite a fearful message to anyone who dares to oppose fraud,” Presley said.
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