Turkish PhD Student Allowed to Continue Tufts Research Following Visa Revocation

A federal judge has determined that Rümeysa Öztürk, pursuing her PhD at Tufts University, can proceed with her research and teaching while appealing the decision surrounding her visa revocation, which resulted in six weeks of detention.

Öztürk, who researches children’s interactions with social media, faced detention after co-authoring an op-ed that criticized Tufts’ stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict. In March, immigration officials apprehended her in an unmarked vehicle near her home.

Since her release from a Louisiana detention center in May, she had returned to campus but was restricted from teaching and conducting research due to the suspension of her Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record.

Chief US District Judge Denise J. Casper indicated that Öztürk stands a good chance of succeeding in contesting the termination, citing it as “arbitrary and capricious, contrary to law and in violation of the First Amendment.”

Federal attorneys argued that the court lacked jurisdiction and insisted that terminating her SEVIS record post-visa revocation was justified. Assistant US Attorney Mark Sauter stated, “There’s no statute or regulation that’s been violated by the termination of the SEVIS record in this case.”

Planned to graduate next year, Öztürk expressed her relief yet highlighted the significant academic and emotional impact of these actions. “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 remarked.

Detained while meeting friends for iftar during Ramadan, she was unaware of her visa revocation that occurred days earlier. The government claimed the termination of her SEVIS record was formal notification to Tufts.

A State Department memo indicated that her actions “may undermine U.S. foreign policy by creating a hostile environment for Jewish students and indicating support for a designated terrorist organization,” referring to her op-ed.

SEVIS, initiated in 1996 and overseen by ICE, monitors nonimmigrant students in the U.S. The termination halts employment permissions and allows ICE to confirm a student's exit. Öztürk’s legal team contends that the revocation effectively barred her from fully engaging in her academic program while maintaining her lawful student status.

Her attorney, Adriana Lafaille, stated, “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.”