Post by : Meena Ariff

A federal judge has ruled that Rümeysa Öztürk, a PhD student at Tufts University, may continue her research and teaching while challenging the effects of her visa revocation, which led to six weeks of detention.

Öztürk, who studies children’s relationship with social media, was targeted after co-authoring an op-ed criticizing Tufts’ response to the Israel-Gaza conflict. In March, immigration enforcement officers arrested her outside her residence in an unmarked vehicle.

Since her release from a Louisiana detention center in May, she has been back on campus but unable to teach or conduct research due to the termination of her Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record.

Chief US District Judge Denise J. Casper stated that Öztürk is likely to succeed on claims that the termination was “arbitrary and capricious, contrary to law and in violation of the First Amendment.”

Government lawyers argued that the court lacked jurisdiction and that terminating her SEVIS record after her visa revocation was lawful. Assistant US Attorney Mark Sauter said, “There’s no statute or regulation that’s been violated by the termination of the SEVIS record in this case.”

Öztürk, planning to graduate next year, expressed relief but emphasized the academic and personal toll of the actions. “I feel a great deal of grief for the education I have been arbitrarily denied as a scholar and a woman in my final year of doctoral studies,” she said.

She was meeting friends for iftar during Ramadan when detained, despite her visa being revoked days earlier without her knowledge. The government claimed terminating her SEVIS record shortly after arrest served as official notice to Tufts.

A State Department memo noted her actions “may undermine U.S. foreign policy by creating a hostile environment for Jewish students and indicating support for a designated terrorist organization,” referencing her op-ed.

SEVIS, established in 1996 and managed by ICE, tracks nonimmigrant students in the U.S. Termination removes employment authorization and allows ICE to verify a student’s departure. Öztürk’s attorneys argue the revocation effectively blocked her from fully participating in her program, despite maintaining lawful student status.

Her attorney, Adriana Lafaille, said, “Each day that goes by is a day she is prevented from doing the work that she loves. The government is continuing to punish her for her protected speech.”

#Global News