Rumeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, found herself at the center of a heated exchange between a lawyer for the federal government and an appeals judge on Tuesday. The lawyer struggled to answer whether Öztürk’s free speech rights were protected after she was detained by immigration authorities in a Boston suburb on March 25. The Trump administration had revoked Öztürk’s student visa based on allegations that she had affiliations that could undermine U.S. foreign policy and support for a designated terrorist organization.
During a hearing at the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City, Judge Barrington Parker Jr. pressed the government on whether they believed Öztürk’s speech was protected. However, the Justice Department attorney stated they had not taken a position on the matter, leading to a tense exchange.
Video footage of Öztürk’s arrest showed her being surrounded by DHS officers and immigration authorities, forcibly taken from the street into a nearby SUV. She has been held in a detention center in Louisiana, far from her home, as she fights deportation. Her lawyers argued for the case to be transferred to Vermont, citing it as the last place she was taken before being moved to Louisiana.
In a separate case, the court also heard arguments regarding the release of Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian activist detained by DHS agents. The government argued against his release, citing potential challenges and costs associated with his removal.
Both cases highlight the complex legal battles faced by individuals like Öztürk and Mahdawi, whose rights and freedoms are being scrutinized and contested in the legal system.
“Liberty is the standard, and the government seeks to disrupt that freedom,” stated Ahmad. Mahdawi played a key role in organizing pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University last year. These protests at the prestigious Ivy League institution sparked similar movements at colleges across the country and attracted criticism from Republicans in Congress. The Trump administration defended Mahdawi’s detention, claiming that his presence and activities in the United States could have negative foreign policy repercussions and undermine important U.S. interests, as stated in the Department of Homeland Security notice for his appearance.
Last week, Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford from the Federal District Court in Vermont ordered Mahdawi’s release on bail. He compared the current political environment to the repressive atmosphere of the Second Red Scare in the 1950s, emphasizing that the government’s actions to stifle debate are not unprecedented. Following his release, Mahdawi addressed the media outside the courthouse with a resolute message: “I want to make it crystal clear to President Trump and his administration: I do not fear you.”
