BOSTON — Saturday, May 6, 2025

Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk has returned to Boston, one day after being released from a Louisiana immigration detention center where she had been held for more than six weeks. Öztürk, a 30-year-old Turkish national, was detained in March following the publication of an op-ed she co-authored criticizing Tufts University’s response to the war in Gaza.

Speaking at Logan Airport on Saturday, Öztürk called the last 45 days a “very difficult” period.

“In the last 45 days, I lost both my freedom and also my education during a crucial time for my doctoral studies,” she told reporters. “But I am so grateful for all the support, kindness and care.”

Her release was ordered Friday by U.S. District Judge William Sessions in Burlington, Vermont, pending a final decision on her legal challenge against what she claims was an illegal detention based on her political speech. Judge Sessions ruled that Öztürk should be released on her own recognizance, citing a lack of evidence that she posed a danger to the community or was a flight risk.

Öztürk, whose doctoral research focuses on children and social media, detailed in court her deteriorating health in detention, including increased asthma attacks. The federal judge found that her lawsuit raised “substantial claims” of constitutional rights violations, particularly concerning free speech and due process.

“I have faith in the American system of justice,” Öztürk said. “I will continue to pursue this case in court.”

Her detention stemmed from a March 25 arrest, when immigration officials surrounded her in Massachusetts, transferred her through multiple states, and ultimately held her in Basile, Louisiana, at an immigration detention facility. Her student visa had been revoked days earlier, but according to her legal team, she was never informed of that revocation.

The Department of Homeland Security claimed in March that Öztürk had engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization — accusations her lawyers strongly deny and say lack supporting evidence. The State Department memo cited concerns that her actions “may undermine U.S. foreign policy by creating a hostile environment for Jewish students,” referencing the co-authored op-ed as a basis for visa revocation.

Öztürk was one of four Tufts students who wrote the article, which ran in The Tufts Daily and called on the university to “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide,” disclose financial holdings, and divest from companies tied to Israel.

Her initial legal petition was filed in Massachusetts, though her location was unknown for more than 24 hours after her arrest. A Massachusetts judge later transferred the case to Vermont.

This week, a federal appeals court upheld Judge Sessions’ order requiring Öztürk to be returned to New England for hearings on whether her rights were violated. Meanwhile, immigration proceedings initiated in Louisiana will continue separately, though Öztürk is permitted to participate remotely.

Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) welcomed her back publicly, saying:

“Today is a tremendous day as we welcome you back, Rumeysa. You have made millions and millions of people across our country so proud of the way you have fought.”

The Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review declined to comment on the ongoing case.

Öztürk’s release marks a significant moment in what advocates call an intensifying crackdown on pro-Palestinian advocacy among international students. She is one of several students reportedly detained during the Trump administration and beyond under similar allegations related to speech on the Israeli genocide in Palestine.