US Judge Terminates Removal Proceedings Against Turkish Student
Ozturk, a PhD candidate in child development at Tufts University, was taken into custody by plainclothes immigration agents in March 2025 in Somerville, Massachusetts. Her detention came shortly after she co-authored a student newspaper opinion piece supporting Palestinian perspectives. Legal representatives said the judge determined that the Department of Homeland Security did not have sufficient legal grounds to deport her.
“Today, I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that despite the justice system’s flaws, my case may give hope to those who have also been wronged by the U.S. government,” Ozturk said in a statement shared by advocates. She added that although the personal impact of her detention cannot be erased, the decision demonstrates that “some justice can prevail after all.”
The Trump administration had argued that Ozturk was removable under immigration law, claiming her actions could negatively affect foreign relations and represented support for Hamas. Ozturk’s attorneys contended that the allegations were retaliatory and stemmed entirely from her protected speech.
After her arrest, she was transferred between several states—including Massachusetts, Vermont, and Louisiana—without prior notice to her legal team, according to court documents. A federal judge in Vermont later granted her bail six weeks after her initial detention.
Ozturk’s lawyers challenged her confinement as unconstitutional, arguing that it violated her rights under the First and Fifth Amendments.
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