The Latest on Rümeysa Öztürk (May 8, 2025)

[Free Rümeysa now.]
As reported two weeks ago, lawyers from the increasingly misnamed Department of Justice appealed a judge’s ruling that Rümeysa Öztürk be transferred to Vermont for a bail hearing. Yesterday, they correctly lost that appeal. Barring a government appeal to the Supreme Court, Öztürk should be headed back to Vermont for a bail hearing soon.

“No one should be arrested and locked up for their political views. Every day that Rümeysa Öztürk remains in detention is a day too long,” Öztürk attorney Esha Bhandari said in a statement after the ruling was issued. We’re grateful the court refused the government’s attempt to keep her isolated from her community and her legal counsel as she pursues her case for release.”

This unconscionable matter has now dragged on for over six weeks since Öztürk’s sickening abduction by federal agents. Justice has yet to be properly served, and it must be reiterated that Öztürk has been accused of absolutely no crime. Her visa was secretly cancelled by the government, seemingly for the act of co-authoring an op-ed that criticized Tufts University’s response to the Israel-Hamas conflict. She was then arrested on the basis of not having a valid visa. Everyone should be outraged by this, and by too many similar travesties from Donald Trump’s executive branch.

Link: https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/05/07/federal-appeals-court-rules-ozturk-vermont-ice