Judge Orders Release of Rümeysa Öztürk, Who Was Kidnapped for Writing an Op-Ed

By Dave Levitan  |  May 9, 2025 | 12:50pm
Screenshot via WCVB Boston
Immigration ICE
Judge Orders Release of Rümeysa Öztürk, Who Was Kidnapped for Writing an Op-Ed

US District Judge William Sessions ordered the release on bail of graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk in a hearing on Friday. She was snatched off the street by masked, unidentified ICE goons, and has been in custody mostly in Louisiana since late March. Her offense, which led to the revocation of her student visa and subsequent attempt at disappearance, was co-authoring an op-ed for the Tufts newspaper opposing the university’s policies relating to Gaza and Israel.

“I see no evidence of risk or danger of any kind,” Judge Sessions said. “The court orders ICE to release Rümeysa Öztürk from custody IMMEDIATELY. She is free to return to her home in Massachusetts.” He said that Öztürk has raised “substantial” and “significant” claims that her due process and First Amendment rights were violated with her arrest and detention — which, again, occurred because she wrote an op-ed.

She will not have any travel restrictions on her, as the judge does not consider her a flight risk. Sessions specifically cited the government’s focus on her op-ed as the problem here. “Her continued detention cannot stand.”

 
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