A federal judge ordered Tufts University student Le Mesa Ozturk, who was detained late last month, to transfer from Louisiana’s detention center to Vermont by the beginning of next month.
District Judge William Session on Friday ruled that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) would move Tufts’ doctoral student Ozturk to Vermont until May 1st. The session will be ordered to have an Ozturk bail hearing held on May 9th, during which time it must be displayed directly.
“After reviewing the initial amendment and due process claims and the evidence presented by the parties, the court concludes that Mr. Ozruk has presented a viable and serious popular claim that justifies an urgent review of merit,” the federal judge said in his 74-page ruling. “The court plans to quickly move to a bail hearing and final disposal of habeasistic petitions as Ozturk’s claims are below that.”
A petition merit hearing was set for May 22, and the session ruled.
“The petition filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts has been properly assigned to this court. There is no technical flaw that prevents this court from considering this court, as if this court had filed this petition first,” the judge said.
The flat-dressed immigration officer detained a Tufts student on March 25th and placed her in an unmarked van. She was moved from Massachusetts to New Hampshire and then Vermont. She was then moved to a Louisiana detention facility.
Ozturk student visa has ended. Her lawyers allege her due process rights have been violated.
She was one of the co-authors of the school newspaper operators who denounced Tufts for their response to Israeli war in Gaza and called on schools to ties with businesses involved in Israel.
“The court further raised serious constitutional concerns about Ms. Öztürk’s arrest and detention and found it worth full and fair consideration in the forum,” the federal judge said Friday.
