Rümeysa Öztürk, a PhD student at Tufts University, can now resume her research after a U.S. district judge ruled in her favor regarding the revocation of her visa. Digital media scholar Öztürk, who studies how young people engage with social media, faced an uphill battle when the Trump administration imprisoned her. As one of its early targets, her foreign-born status and long history of pro-Palestinian activism placed her in the crosshairs.
Öztürk in early May was freed from a Louisiana immigrant detention facility. She had been detained there after her Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record was ended. As a result, this termination had previously prevented her from being able to teach in their classrooms or engage in her research endeavors at Tufts. Thanks to this order from Judge Denise J. Casper, Öztürk will be free to pursue her scholarly activities at the academic level. Despite all of that, she is still set on graduating next year.
The judge’s ruling left no doubt, recognizing that Öztürk has a likelihood of success on her claims that she is likely to prevail on the merits. She contends that the revocation of her SEVIS record was arbitrary and capricious, unlawful, and violated her First Amendment rights.
“I was arbitrarily denied as a scholar and a woman in my final year of doctoral studies,” Öztürk stated, reflecting on the impact of the administration’s actions on her academic journey.
Prior to her arrest, Öztürk had written an op-ed critical of Tufts University’s tacit support of the ongoing attacks and war in Gaza. The op-ed drew attention to her stance on civil rights and advocacy for Palestinian issues, which may have contributed to her targeting by officials.
Öztürk’s attorney Mark Sauter commented on the legal significance of the case.
“There’s no statute or regulation that’s been violated by the termination of the SEVIS record in this case,” said Sauter, emphasizing the legal grounds for the judge’s decision.
Coming back to life on campus has refueled Öztürk’s academic passions. She dreams of a world in which education is a safe space for nurturing community and civic responsibility, rather than a vehicle for penalizing diverse viewpoints.
“I hope one day we can create a world where everyone uses education to learn, connect, civically engage and benefit others – rather than criminalize and punish those whose opinions differ from our own,” she said.