BOSTON — A hearing is set in the case of the Tufts University graduate student who is currently in custody of ICE.
Rumeysa Ozturk is currently being held in Louisiana—but before she was moved there, she was in a holding facility in Vermont. Her lawyers are arguing since they petitioned for her release while she was there—a Vermont judge can make the decision.
Ozturk was put in handcuffs three weeks ago in Somerville. Homeland Security said she had her student visa revoked because officials claimed she showed support for Hamas. Her lawyers argue she’s being targeted because she co-authored an op-ed piece in a student paper about the war in Gaza. So why was she moved from Vermont to Louisiana?
Legal expert Peter Elikann says a lot of immigrants detained by ice have been sent to Louisiana – where the judges may be more sympathetic to the views of the Trump administration.
“If the Vermont judge were to say, we’re keeping jurisdiction and I’m going to grant her bail, so I’m ordering her release from the Louisiana ICE facility are the government lawyers going to argue against that and appeal that to the next level?” said Boston 25 Legal Analyst Peter Elikann.
The Washington Post is reporting that days before Ozturk was detained, the State Department determined the Trump administration had not produced any evidence showing Ozturk engaged in antisemitic activities or publicly supported Hamas.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suggested Ozturk’s infractions go beyond writing the op-ed in the Tufts student paper—but hasn’t specified. Her hearing begins at 9:30 am in Burlington, Vermont.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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