Immigration Judge Blocks Deportation of Tufts Student Over Pro-Palestinian Speech
Key Facts
- Immigration Judge Roopal Patel issued the ruling in Boston on January 29.
- The Department of Homeland Security sought deportation based on an editorial Ozturk co-authored in a student newspaper.
- The government cited a 1952 provision regarding 'potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences.'
- Ozturk was detained for 45 days in a southern Louisiana facility before her release in May 2025.
- DHS spokespeople characterized the ruling as 'judicial activism' and labeled Ozturk a 'terrorist sympathizer.'
- The Trump administration may still challenge the decision before the Board of Immigration Appeals.
An immigration judge in Boston has terminated removal proceedings against Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish PhD student at Tufts University, ruling that the federal government failed to meet its burden of proof for deportation. The decision, issued on January 29 and disclosed in a legal filing on Monday, ends the administration's attempt to deport Ozturk following her public criticism of Israel. Ozturk, who studies children’s relationship to social media, was arrested in March 2025 and held for 45 days in a Louisiana detention center before a federal judge ordered her release in May.
Historical Context
The case is part of a broader administration effort to target foreign-born students and activists involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy. A federal judge in Boston recently ruled that the administration's policy of detaining and deporting such scholars was unlawful and created a 'chill' on the free speech of non-citizen academics.
Perspective Analysis
Sources: MSNBC · Al Jazeera · The Hill · The Guardian
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