Boston, MA – A federal judge in Boston has ruled in favor of Rumeysa Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, ordering her reinstatement in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database. The ruling effectively lifts restrictions that had prevented her from working on campus.
Chief Judge Denise Casper of the District Court found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unlawfully terminated Ozturk’s SEVIS record. The termination occurred on the same day that plainclothes officers detained her in March.
The removal from SEVIS effectively prohibits international students from engaging in on-campus employment. Ozturk, a Turkish national, expressed gratitude for the ruling and voiced hope that no one else would endure the “injustice” she faced.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has not yet issued a statement regarding the court’s decision.
Ozturk’s arrest, captured in a widely circulated video, sparked outrage among civil rights groups. The arrest followed the revocation of her student visa, allegedly part of a broader campaign targeting international students involved in pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses.
According to court documents, the sole justification for revoking her visa was an op-ed she co-authored a year prior, criticizing Tufts University’s response to the conflict in Gaza.
Ozturk was detained for 45 days at a detention center in Louisiana before a federal judge in Vermont ordered her immediate release. The judge deemed her detention retaliatory and a violation of her constitutional right to free speech.
Following her release, Ozturk, a child development researcher, resumed her studies at Tufts. However, the refusal to reinstate her SEVIS record prevented her from teaching or working as a research assistant. This prompted her legal team to pursue further action, culminating in the recent court order.
This is a developing story. DZWatch will continue to provide updates as they become available.
