Turkish PhD Student Cleared to Continue Research at Tufts Following Visa Issues

Post by : Mina Rahman

In a significant ruling, a federal judge has determined that Rümeysa Öztürk, a PhD candidate at Tufts University, can proceed with her research and teaching while contesting her recent visa revocation, which had resulted in her six-week detention.

Öztürk, who focuses on how children interact with social media, found herself targeted after she co-wrote an op-ed that criticized Tufts’ handling of the Israel-Gaza situation. In March, immigration officers apprehended her outside her home in an unmarked vehicle.

After her release from a Louisiana detention facility in May, she returned to campus but was unable to teach or conduct research due to the cancellation of her Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record.

Chief US District Judge Denise J. Casper mentioned that Öztürk appears likely to succeed in her claim that the termination of her SEVIS record was “arbitrary and capricious, contrary to law and in violation of the First Amendment.”

In contrast, government representatives contended that the court lacked jurisdiction and maintained that the cancellation of her SEVIS record following the visa revocation was lawful. Assistant US Attorney Mark Sauter stated, “There is no statute or regulation that has been violated by the termination of the SEVIS record in this case.”

Öztürk, who aims to graduate next year, expressed relief over the decision but highlighted the significant academic and personal impact of the government's actions. She stated, “I feel a great deal of grief for the education I have been arbitrarily denied as a scholar and a woman in my final year of doctoral studies.”

She was attending an iftar gathering with friends during Ramadan when she was detained, occurring days after her visa had been revoked without her knowledge. The government argued that terminating her SEVIS record soon after her arrest served as formal notice to Tufts.

According to a memo from the State Department, her activities “may undermine U.S. foreign policy by creating a hostile environment for Jewish students and indicating support for a designated terrorist organization,” in reference to her op-ed.

The SEVIS system, established in 1996 and administrated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), monitors nonimmigrant students in the U.S. Its termination nullifies employment authorization and alerts ICE to verify a student's departure. Öztürk’s legal team argues that this revocation effectively incapacitated her from fully engaging in her academic program, despite her lawful student status.

Her attorney, Adriana Lafaille, remarked, “Each day that goes by is a day she is prevented from doing the work that she loves. The government is continuing to punish her for her protected speech.”