Federal court temporarily blocks deportation of Tufts university student – JURIST
A federal court in Massachusetts ordered on Friday that Tufts University doctoral student, Rumeysa Ozturk, not be removed from the US until the court has had an opportunity to determine whether it has subject matter jurisdiction to hear the case.
Judge Denise Casper noted precedents in the order confirming that the court has the authority “to preserve its jurisdiction while it determines whether it has jurisdiction” where a substantial jurisdictional question exists. Put another way, Casper agreed with the plaintiff’s assertion that it has the authority to “maintain the status quo” while it determines the question of jurisdiction.
This order follows another order on Tuesday from federal judge Indira Talwani of the same court instructing that Ozturk not be moved outside the district of Massachusetts without at least 48 hours’ notice to the court, not including weekends. Despite that order, which was issued in response to a writ of habeas corpus filed by Ozturk’s lawyer, Ozturk was moved to an immigration detention center in Louisiana.
Ozturk is a Turkish national on an F-1 “student” visa who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Tuesday, as she was walking down a street. Footage of the arrest shows unidentified officers, with their faces covered, apprehending Ozturk.
Ozturk co-authored an op-ed article in 2024 calling for Tufts University to disclose and divest from Israeli ties. She can also be found on Canary Mission, a doxxing website that publishes the personal information of individuals considered to be anti-Israel.
This is one of a series of instances where the Trump administration has defied a court order and proceeded to carry on business as usual. Last month, federal judge John McConnell Jr. accused the Trump administration of defying his order requiring the federal government to release billions of dollars in federal grants after Trump’s attempt to freeze federal aid funding. Earlier this month, federal judge James Boasberg ordered the Trump administration to explain the deportation of more than 200 alleged Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 despite his previous order not to do so. These actions of defiance have raised severe concerns about the Trump administration’s respect for the rule of law.
While protestors and rights advocates, that included some Jewish groups, have criticized Ozturk’s arrest, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has staunchly defended the government’s actions stating “I don’t care what movement you’re involved in…We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree, not to become a social activist that tears up our university campuses.” Rubio’s grandfather, who he is known to have been close to as a child, was an undocumented immigrant who was nearly deported. Rubio is also the son of immigrants.
Ozturk’s professors at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University have expressed support for her in a press release. The court has set a deadline of Tuesday at 5:00 PM for the government to respond to Ozturk’s complaint.
