May 09, 2025 11:26 PM IST
A federal judge in Vermont, William K. Sessions III, on Friday ordered the immediate release of Rümeysa Öztürk
A federal judge in Vermont, William K. Sessions III, on Friday ordered the immediate release of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University student who was detained by ICE agents in March. The Turkish doctoral student was detained a year after she co-authored a campus newspaper op-ed that criticized her university’s stance on the Gaza war.
Öztürk’s detention sparked several protests across the country, with several students voicing concerns about free speech. This comes as the Trump administration has carried out several arrests of non-citizen students who participated in protests.
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Rümeysa Öztürk has already spent six weeks in a Louisiana immigration detention center, but has not been charged with a crime yet. The Trump administration accuses her of participating in activities supporting Hamas.
When will Rümeysa Öztürk be released?
The district judge in Vermont ordered the immediate release of Öztürk. The order came after a bail hearing where Öztürk appeared remotely from a Louisiana detention center. Given the court’s directive for immediate release, and assuming no immediate appeals or logistical delays, her release from the Basile, Louisiana, facility should occur within days. However, the Trump administration’s response and potential legal challenges could affect this timeline.
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Who is Rümeysa Öztürk?
Rümeysa Öztürk is a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University detained by ICE on March 25, 2025, and held in a Louisiana detention center. Her detention followed a 2024 campus op-ed criticizing Tufts’ stance on the Gaza war, sparking free speech debates. The Trump administration accused her of supporting Hamas, though no charges were filed. After six weeks in detention, U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III ordered her immediate release on May 9, 2025, citing health concerns and constitutional rights.
