Tufts Muslim student challenges immigration detention in court
A Muslim doctoral student from Tufts University is fighting her detention by U.S. immigration authorities in court.
Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish Fulbright scholar, was arrested by masked immigration agents last month in Massachusetts.
She was detained while heading to an iftar gathering during Ramadan.
Within hours, authorities transferred Ozturk from Massachusetts to a detention center in Louisiana.
Her lawyers say the rapid transfer was illegal and intended to block her access to legal help.
In a Boston court hearing today, Judge Denise Casper questioned government attorneys if such swift transfers were normal practice or deliberate attempts to delay justice.
Prosecutors argued the case should be moved to Louisiana, but Ozturk’s lawyers want the jurisdiction kept in Massachusetts.
Supporters say Ozturk was targeted because she publicly criticized Tufts University’s stance on the pro-Palestinian movement.
Tufts University President Sunil Kumar defended her, saying there was no evidence she did anything wrong.
Outside the courthouse, protesters demanded Ozturk’s immediate release.
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