U.S. District Judge William Sessions III ordered the release of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish Tufts PhD student, from ICE detention.
ICE detained Öztürk for allegedly showing support for Hamas. The government terminated her visa.
Authorities arrested Ozturk in Boston. They drove her to New Hampshire and Vermont, where they flew her to Louisiana.
In April, Sessions ordered authorities to transfer Ozturk to Vermont from Louisiana.
The media and Sessions claim ICE took Rumeysa Ozturk over an op-ed:
U.S. District Judge William Sessions III ruled that Ozturk had been unlawfully detained in March for little more than authoring an op-ed critical of Israel in her school newspaper.“That literally is the case. There is no evidence here … absent consideration of the op-ed,” the Clinton-appointed judge said, describing it as an apparent violation of her free speech rights. He also said Ozturk had made significant claims of due process violations. “Her continued detention cannot stand.”Sessions said the Trump administration’s targeting of Ozturk could chill the speech of “millions and millions” of noncitizens.
However, according to DHS, it goes deeper. From told Fox News:
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News that Ozturk was “granted the privilege to be in this country on a visa.”“DHS and ICE investigations found Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans,” the spokesperson said. “A visa is a privilege not a right. Glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be terminated. This is commonsense security.”
Sessions’ order applies to Ozturk’s “immediate confinement.” Her possible deportation “will continue in immigration court.”
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