Article

2025-03-30 Fifth Column

US judge halts deportation of Tufts Turkish student accused of anti-Israel activism

[IsraelTimes] A US federal judge in Massachusetts on Friday temporarily barred the deportation of a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, who voiced support for Palestinians in Israel’s war in Gaza and was detained by US immigration officials this week.

Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, was taken into custody by US immigration authorities near her Massachusetts home on Tuesday, according to a video showing the arrest by masked federal agents. US officials revoked her visa.

The US Department of Homeland Security has accused Ozturk, without providing evidence, of “engaging in activities in support of Hamas,” a group which the US government categorizes as a “foreign terrorist organization.”

Her arrest came a year after Ozturk co-authored an opinion piece in Tufts’ student newspaper criticizing the university’s response to calls by students to divest from companies with ties to Israel and to “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide.”

A lawyer soon after sued to secure her release, and on Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union joined her legal defense team, filing a revised lawsuit saying her detention violates her rights to free speech and due process.

Despite a Tuesday night order requiring the PhD student and Fulbright Scholar not to be moved out of Massachusetts without 48 hours’ notice, she was now in Louisiana.

In Friday’s order, US District Judge Denise Casper in Boston said that to provide time to resolve whether her court retained jurisdiction over the case, she was barring Ozturk’s deportation temporarily.

She ordered the Trump administration to respond to Ozturk’s complaint by Tuesday.

Mahsa Khanbabai, a lawyer for Ozturk, called the decision “a first step in getting Rumeysa released and back home to Boston so she can continue her studies.”

The DHS had no immediate comment.

Posted by trailing wife 2025-03-30 2025-03-30 03:05|| || Front Page|| [11149 views ] Top
File under: Govt of Iran Proxies

#1 Is she a US citizen?

Posted by Whiskey Mike 2025-03-30 05:50|| 2025-03-30 05:50|| Front Page Top

#2 [Iranian] Mahsa Khanbabai is founder of Khanbabai Immigration Law, a boutique firm focusing on health care workers, employment-based immigration and consular visa processing issues, her dedication for this work stemming from her own J2 to US citizen experience. She is an elected Director of AILA’s Board of Governors, serves on the AILA’s USCIS and Equity Belonging Committees. Mahsa has been a vocal national advocate on issues ranging from the Muslim/Africa Travel Ban, Deferred Action, the Afghan and Palestinian immigration crisis and consular delays. She continues to advocate for clients and reform by engaging with elected officials, agencies, and media sources.

Posted by Muggsy Peacock6312 2025-03-30 07:53|| 2025-03-30 07:53|| Front Page Top

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