US judge delays ruling on Turkish Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk, detained by ICE

A U.S. federal judge on Monday postponed a ruling on the release of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish Fulbright scholar and Ph.D. student at Tufts University, who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which operates under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), agents on March 25.

Judge raises jurisdiction concerns before bail decision

U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III said he must first decide whether his court has jurisdiction over the case before addressing the petition for Ozturk’s release.

The judge gave both sides until 5 p.m. on Thursday to submit legal briefs and scheduled a second hearing for April 14.

“If the court lacks jurisdiction, it has no power, no authority,” Sessions said during a phone conference with attorneys.

Arrest and visa revocation raise due process questions

Ozturk, 30, was detained by masked ICE agents outside her apartment in Somerville, Massachusetts, on March 25.

Her student visa had been revoked four days earlier without prior notice, according to court documents. Her lawyers say no explanation was provided at the time of arrest.

Initially held overnight in Vermont, she was flown to Louisiana the next day. Her legal team, friends, and the Turkish consulate were unable to locate her for over 24 hours, during which her lawyers say she experienced an asthma attack.

Legal team argues for immediate release

Ozturk’s attorney Ramzi Kassem urged the court to release her so she could continue her studies, asserting she poses no flight risk or threat to public safety. Kassem argued that the court has the authority to intervene.

However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher emphasized that “jurisdiction is absolutely the threshold question” and must be resolved before bail can be considered.

The government maintains that the case falls under the immigration court’s authority and not the federal district court’s jurisdiction.

Immigration Court vs Federal Court: Dispute over legal venue

A federal judge in Boston previously redirected the case to Vermont, ruling that at the time the emergency petition was filed, Ozturk was still being held in Vermont, not yet transferred to Louisiana.

Judge Sessions described the case as involving “unusual circumstances” and asked both parties to gather and present further evidence.

Allegations of political retaliation

Ozturk’s supporters allege she was targeted for co-authoring an op-ed in The Tufts Daily in March 2024 criticizing the university’s stance on the pro-Palestinian movement.

Authorities claim her detention stems from alleged support for the Palestinian group Hamas, though no public evidence has been presented.

A video of her arrest circulated widely online, showing ICE agents forcibly detaining her and taking her phone.

Broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian academics

Ozturk’s case comes amid what critics describe as a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on pro-Palestinian students and academics.

Other recent detentions include Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate, and Badar Khan Suri, a researcher at Georgetown University.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed that Ozturk’s F-1 visa was revoked and defended the government’s actions. He has also stated that over 300 foreign students have had their visas canceled due to alleged ties to Hamas or anti-Israel activities.