A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled on Friday that a Tufts University medical graduate student from Turkey who was detained this week cannot be deported without a court order.
International student Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, was detained by federal authorities near an off-campus apartment building in Somerville, university President Sunil Kumar confirmed.
U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper on Friday ruled the government has until Tuesday to respond to an updated complaint filed by Ozturk’s lawyers, The Associated Press reported.
“To allow the Court’s resolution of its jurisdiction to decide the petition, Ozturk shall not be removed from the United States until further order of this court,” the judge wrote.
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Ozturk, who a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said was “engaged in activities in support of Hamas,” was moved to a Louisiana Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center before her attorneys were able to get a judge’s order, the AP reported.
The university said it had “no pre-knowledge of this incident and did not share any information with federal authorities prior to the event,” but confirmed her visa had been terminated.
Attorneys representing Ozturk told Fox News she had a valid F-1 visa status prior to her arrest, and there were no charges against her.
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An executive order was signed by President Donald Trump in January to retract Hamas supporters’ student visas amid an “unprecedented wave of vile anti-semitic discrimination, vandalism, and violence against our citizens, especially in our schools and on our campuses,” Fox News Digital previously reported.
Ozturk wrote an op-ed along with three other students in The Tufts Daily last year tearing into the university’s response to Israel’s war in Gaza, the AP reported.
The op-ed called for the school to “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide,” and make financial decisions based on entities’ direct or indirect ties to Israel, according to the report.
Ozturk is just one of a slew of university students detained by ICE in the last week.
University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham on Friday sent a letter to students, faculty and staff confirming an international graduate student was detained on Thursday at an off-campus home near its Twin Cities campus.
Cunningham called the situation “deeply concerning,” noting the university “had no prior knowledge of this incident and did not share any information with federal authorities before it occurred.”
She added “it is important to note” its campus public safety, including UMPD, “do not enforce federal immigration laws, and our officers do not inquire about an individual’s immigration status.”
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Minneapolis City Council member Robin Wonsley, in a statement on Friday, said she was “disturbed” about the detainment, and indicated there would be a rally Monday against what she called “Trump’s attacks.”
“This frightening reality underscores the need for the City of Minneapolis, University of Minnesota, and all local governments to clearly and unambiguously condemn the Trump administration’s cruel and racist attacks, and invest resources into protecting vulnerable residents,” Wonsley wrote.
Wonsley added she asked Minneapolis Police Department leadership to “establish clear disciplinary criteria for any officer who violates the City’s separation ordinance and uses their position to enforce immigration laws.”
The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul Melvin Carter recently reiterated their sanctuary city stance not to aid ICE with any removals.
The University of Minnesota and ICE St. Paul did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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