• A federal appeals court ordered Rümeysa Öztürk's transfer to Vermont for a hearing on her detention, rejecting the government's attempt to keep her in Louisiana.
• Öztürk's lawyers argue her detention violates her constitutional rights, including free speech, due to an op-ed she co-wrote criticizing Tufts' response to the Israel-Gaza war.
• The Trump administration contends that Öztürk's visa revocation and detention are justified and that her activism undermines U.S. foreign policy.

Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after co-authoring an op-ed critical of Tufts' response to the Israel-Gaza war. She was held in a Louisiana detention center. A federal appeals court has ruled that she must be transferred to Vermont for a hearing to determine the legality of her detention. The case raises questions about free speech, due process, and the rights of international students in the United States.

• What: A federal appeals court ordered that Rümeysa Öztürk be transferred from a Louisiana detention center to Vermont for a hearing to determine the legality of her detention.
• Who: Rümeysa Öztürk (Tufts student), US Second Circuit Court of Appeals, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ACLU, Department of Justice, Judge William Sessions, Esha Bhandari, Tricia McLaughlin.
• When: Öztürk was arrested on March 25, 2025. The appeals court ruling was issued on May 7, 2025. The transfer to Vermont was ordered by May 14, 2025.
• Where: Somerville, Massachusetts (arrest location), New Hampshire, Vermont, Basile, Louisiana (detention center), New York City (Appeals Court).

The court's decision to order Öztürk's transfer to Vermont is a significant development in the case. It suggests that the court is skeptical of the government's attempt to move the case to Louisiana, where it might receive a more favorable hearing. The case raises important questions about the government's power to detain and deport international students based on their political views. The Trump administration's stance is that a visa is a privilege, not a right, and that it will continue to fight for the removal of aliens who have no right to be in the country. However, civil rights advocates argue that Öztürk's detention violates her First Amendment rights and that she is being punished for her political views.

Rümeysa has suffered six weeks in crowded confinement without adequate access to medical care and in conditions that doctors say risk exacerbating her asthma attacks. Her detention – over an op-ed she co-authored in her student newspaper – is as cruel as it is unconstitutional.

No one should be arrested and locked up for their political views.

Being granted a visa to live and study in the United States is a privilege not a right. Today's ruling does not prevent the continued detention of Ms. Ozturk, and we will continue to fight for the arrest, detention, and removal of aliens who have no right to be in this country.

The court's order for Rümeysa Öztürk's transfer to Vermont represents a temporary victory for her and her legal team. However, the Trump administration has indicated that it will continue to fight for her detention and removal. The upcoming hearing in Vermont will be crucial in determining the legality of her detention and whether her rights have been violated. The case highlights the ongoing debate about free speech, immigration, and the rights of international students in the United States.