{"id":4311,"date":"2026-02-10T00:25:48","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T00:25:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io\/?post_type=press_release&p=4311"},"modified":"2026-02-10T00:30:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T00:30:41","slug":"immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk","status":"publish","type":"press_release","link":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/","title":{"rendered":"Immigration judge\u00a0terminates\u00a0removal proceedings against\u00a0child development scholar\u00a0R\u00fcmeysa\u00a0\u00d6zt\u00fcrk"},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"class_list":["post-4311","press_release","type-press_release","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"subheading":"Judge\u00a0determines\u00a0DHS lacks legal grounds to deport Ms. \u00d6zt\u00fcrk, who was arrested and detained by ICE for\u00a0co-authoring\u00a0an op-ed","date_and_time":"2026-02-09 18:30:00","featured_image":null,"components":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":{"text":"NEW YORK \u2013 Attorneys for R\u00fcmeysa \u00d6zt\u00fcrk submitted documents in federal court today announcing that removal proceedings against the Tufts University Ph.D. student have been terminated by an immigration judge. Ms. \u00d6zt\u00fcrk is represented in immigration court by Mahsa Khanbabai of Khanbabai Immigration Law and Kerry Doyle, of Green and Speigel.\r\n\r\n\u201cToday, I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that despite the justice system\u2019s flaws, my case may give hope to those who have also been wronged by the U.S. government\" said R\u00fcmeysa \u00d6zt\u00fcrk<\/b>. \"Though the pain that I and thousands of other women wrongfully imprisoned by ICE have faced cannot be undone, it is heartening to know that some justice can prevail after all. I grieve for the many human beings who do not get to see the mistreatment they have faced brought into the light. When we openly talk about the many injustices around us, including the treatment of immigrants and others who have been targeted and thrown in for-profit ICE prisons, as well as what is happening in Gaza, true justice will prevail.\u201d\r\n\r\nOn March 25, 2025, Ms. \u00d6zt\u00fcrk was detained by plainclothes ICE agents in Somerville, Massachusetts in retaliation for an op-ed she co-authored in the\u202fTufts Daily<\/i>. Her legal team filed a petition and complaint with the federal court in the District of Massachusetts challenging her unconstitutional detention by ICE and arguing that it violated the First and Fifth Amendments. Without informing the court or her counsel, ICE had shuttled her across state lines to Vermont\u2014where she was at the time of her habeas<\/i> petition being filed, resulting in the case ultimately being transferred to the District of Vermont\u2014and eventually to a detention facility in Louisiana.\r\n\r\nOn May 9, six weeks after her arrest, a Vermont district court judge ordered Ms. \u00d6zt\u00fcrk\u2019s release from detention on bail. The government appealed an earlier transfer order from the District Court to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Oral arguments were heard by a three-judge panel on September 30, 2025, and a decision is still pending.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe Trump administration has weaponized our immigration system to target valued members of our communities, including scholars like R\u00fcmeysa,\u201d said Mahsa Khanbabai of Khanbabai Immigration Law<\/b>, \u201cIt has manipulated immigration laws to silence people who advocate for Palestinian human rights and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Secretly revoking the visa of someone who has maintained their lawful immigration status as an excuse to detain them and place them into deportation proceedings is Kafkaesque. With this ruling, Judge Patel has delivered justice for R\u00fcmeysa; now, I hope that other immigration judges will follow her lead and decline to rubber stamp the president\u2019s cruel deportation agenda.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cThis decision underscores the importance of allowing federal courts to review challenges to immigration detention\u201d said Jessie Rossman, legal director at the ACLU of Massachusetts<\/b>. \u201cWithout federal court jurisdiction, the government could punitively and unlawfully detain any noncitizen for months based solely on their speech so long as it simultaneously began removal proceedings, even where, as here, an Immigration Judge ultimately agrees that there is no lawful basis for removal. It is for this reason that habeas proceedings have been and remain a fundamental bulwark against the unconstitutional loss of liberty. \"\r\n\r\nOn December 5, 2025 a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that Ms. \u00d6zt\u00fcrk\u2019s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System record was wrongfully terminated and must be reinstated, allowing her to fully participate in her educational and training program once more. While the government filed a notice of appeal of this decision on February 6, 2026, her SEVIS record remains reinstated. On January 22, 2026, another federal judge in Massachusetts determined in AAUP v. Rubio<\/i> that the government\u2019s policy of arresting and detaining scholars like Ms. \u00d6zt\u00fcrk violated the First Amendment, and documents released as part of the case confirmed that the government targeted her solely on the basis of the op-ed.\r\n\r\nA copy of the 28J letter filed in federal court is available here<\/a>.\r\n\r\nMs. \u00d6zt\u00fcrk\u202f<\/b>is represented by the ACLU, ACLU of Massachusetts, ACLU of Vermont, CLEAR, Emery Celli Abady Brinckerhoff Ward & Maazel LLP, Mahsa Khanbabai, and Kerry Doyle.\r\n\r\nContact:\r\nACLU, media@aclu.org<\/a>\r\nACLU of Massachusetts, media@aclum.org<\/a>\r\nACLU of Vermont, media@acluvt.org<\/a>"}}],"use_default_media_contact":true,"name":"","email":"","phone":"","address":{"address_1":"","address_2":"","city":"","state":"","zip_code":"","country":"United States"},"pgp_public_key":"","spokesperson":null,"related_content":null,"issues":null,"toggle-pdf":true,"documents":null},"yoast_head":"\nImmigration judge\u00a0terminates\u00a0removal proceedings against\u00a0child development scholar\u00a0R\u00fcmeysa\u00a0\u00d6zt\u00fcrk - ACLU of Vermont<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Immigration judge\u00a0terminates\u00a0removal proceedings against\u00a0child development scholar\u00a0R\u00fcmeysa\u00a0\u00d6zt\u00fcrk - ACLU of Vermont\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Judge\u00a0determines\u00a0DHS lacks legal grounds to deport Ms. \u00d6zt\u00fcrk, who was arrested and detained by ICE for\u00a0co-authoring\u00a0an op-ed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ACLU of Vermont\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-10T00:30:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/app\/themes\/aclu-parent\/img\/default_fb_share.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/\",\"name\":\"Immigration judge\u00a0terminates\u00a0removal proceedings against\u00a0child development scholar\u00a0R\u00fcmeysa\u00a0\u00d6zt\u00fcrk - ACLU of Vermont\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-10T00:25:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-10T00:30:41+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Press Releases\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/press-releases\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Immigration judge\u00a0terminates\u00a0removal proceedings against\u00a0child development scholar\u00a0R\u00fcmeysa\u00a0\u00d6zt\u00fcrk\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/\",\"name\":\"ACLU of Vermont\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/#organization\",\"name\":\"ACLU of Vermont\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Vermont_Color-Logo_RGB.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Vermont_Color-Logo_RGB.png\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":2000,\"caption\":\"ACLU of Vermont\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Immigration judge\u00a0terminates\u00a0removal proceedings against\u00a0child development scholar\u00a0R\u00fcmeysa\u00a0\u00d6zt\u00fcrk - ACLU of Vermont","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Immigration judge\u00a0terminates\u00a0removal proceedings against\u00a0child development scholar\u00a0R\u00fcmeysa\u00a0\u00d6zt\u00fcrk - ACLU of Vermont","og_description":"Judge\u00a0determines\u00a0DHS lacks legal grounds to deport Ms. \u00d6zt\u00fcrk, who was arrested and detained by ICE for\u00a0co-authoring\u00a0an op-ed","og_url":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/","og_site_name":"ACLU of Vermont","article_modified_time":"2026-02-10T00:30:41+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/app\/themes\/aclu-parent\/img\/default_fb_share.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/","url":"https:\/\/live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/","name":"Immigration judge\u00a0terminates\u00a0removal proceedings against\u00a0child development scholar\u00a0R\u00fcmeysa\u00a0\u00d6zt\u00fcrk - ACLU of Vermont","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-02-10T00:25:48+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-10T00:30:41+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/live-awp-vermont.pantheonsite.io\/press-releases\/immigration-judge-terminates-removal-proceedings-against-child-development-scholar-rumeysa-ozturk\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Press Releases","item":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/press-releases\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Immigration judge\u00a0terminates\u00a0removal proceedings against\u00a0child development scholar\u00a0R\u00fcmeysa\u00a0\u00d6zt\u00fcrk"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/","name":"ACLU of Vermont","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/#organization","name":"ACLU of Vermont","url":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Vermont_Color-Logo_RGB.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Vermont_Color-Logo_RGB.png","width":2000,"height":2000,"caption":"ACLU of Vermont"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"ACLU of Vermont","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_release\/4311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press_release"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_release\/4311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4315,"href":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_release\/4311\/revisions\/4315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.acluvt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}