By Evaristo Lara
Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish student who was pursuing a doctorate at Tufts University when she was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March of last year, prefers to return to her country of origin to avoid being subject to harassment by the US government.
For having been co-author of an article of opinion published in the newspaper of the aforementioned university,where he criticized the devastation caused by the Israeli armed forces in the Gaza Strip and the response of the educational institution to the war conflict,The 30-year-old woman was detained by the Department of Homeland Security leaving his off-campus apartment in Somerville, Massachusetts.
The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) indicated that her visa had been canceled accusing her of being a “nonimmigrant status violator.”
During the days in which she was deprived of her freedom, she was taken to Louisiana while her appropriate situation was resolved.
Later, William Sessions III, federal judge for the District of Vermont, ruled that Öztürk raised important claims for protection of the First Amendment and due process, elements that allowed him to regain his freedom.
“There is absolutely no evidence that she has participated in violent acts or incited violence. She has no criminal record. She has done nothing but attend her university and expand her contacts within the community in such a supportive way,” he said.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), The Trump administration and Öztürk reached an agreement to dismiss his immigration case.
In this way, the student managed to complete her doctorate and after achieving it through a statement she announced her desire to return to Türkiye.
“After 13 years of dedicated study, I feel very proud to have completed my doctorate and to return home when I want to.
The time that the American government has taken from me belongs not only to me, but also to the children and young people whom I have dedicated my life to defending.
Thinking of them, I have decided to return home as planned to continue my career as an academic, without wasting any more time due to the state-imposed violence and hostility I have experienced in the United States.all for the mere fact of signing an opinion article in defense of Palestinian rights,” he said.
Keep reading:
• Trump fires two immigration judges after rulings in pro-Palestinian student cases
• Judge orders the release of Rümeysa Öztürk, a university student detained by immigration agents
• Academics sue Trump administration to stop deportations of students and teachers
