Court temporarily halts college student's transfer from Tufts to Vermont amidst immigration detention dispute
Stuck in Limbo: Tufts Ph.D. Student's Immigration Case Halts
The drama surrounding Rümeysa Öztürk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, continues as a federal appeals court holds an emergency motion filed by the government, bringing a temporary halt to a district court order demanding her release from an immigration detention center in Louisiana.
Last Tuesday marked the fifth week of Öztürk's detention, and a three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York will hear arguments on May 6 regarding her case. The panel's decision could potentially overturn the Vermont district court judge's order mandating her transfer to that state for hearings to decide on her allegations of unconstitutional detention, which include violations of her free speech and due process rights.
The U.S. Justice Department, which appealed the lower court's ruling, maintains that jurisdiction over Öztürk's case lies with an immigration court in Louisiana. In their emergency motion, government lawyers argue that the Vermont judge's order deliberately disregards the limits imposed on federal court jurisdiction over immigration matters, causing significant harm to the government.
Öztürk's legal team opposed the motion, stating that this "temporary pause could last many months."
Remember, Özturk was detained by ICE agents on March 25 as she walked through a Boston suburb. She was transported to New Hampshire, Vermont, and then transferred to a detention center in Basile, Louisiana.
Interestingly, Özturk penned an op-ed in the campus newspaper last year, criticizing Tufts University's handling of student activists advocating for acknowledgment of the Palestinian genocide, disclosure of investments, and divestment from companies with Israel ties. Following this, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson claimed, without providing evidence, that Özturk had been found to engage in activities supporting Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group.
In the Headlines
- '60 Minutes' Rebukes Corporate Parent in Unusual On-Air Broadcast
- Portland Catholic School Calls Cops on Parents, Expels Black Son over Playground Dispute
- Man Rescued Twice in a Week after Returning to Mount Fuji
- Jet Slips from U.S. Aircraft Carrier in Red Sea, Results in Minor Injury
- Dozens of Sick, Dead Pelicans Puzzle Oregon Coast
- Despite being a doctoral student at Tufts University in Seattle, Rümeysa Öztürk remains detained by the government, held in an immigration detention center in Louisiana.
- Last week, a three-judge panel in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York declared a temporary halt to Öztürk's release, following an emergency motion filed by the government, aiming to challenge a district court order.
- The legal team representing Öztürk maintains that this "temporary pause could last many months," delaying her transfer to Vermont for hearings regarding her allegations of unconstitutional detention.
- On March 25, Öztürk was detained by ICE agents in a Boston suburb, sparking a controversy that has gained attention in general-news politics, including her op-ed piece last year criticizing Tufts University's handling of student activists, which some claim led to her detainment.
