Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, has been released on bail after spending nearly six weeks in US custody.

She was initially detained in Louisiana by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents over allegations tied to her support for Palestine, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

US District Judge William K. Sessions in Vermont ordered Öztürk’s release following a nearly three-hour hearing on May 9. The judge found no compelling evidence presented by government attorneys to justify her continued detention, apart from an article she had authored on the university’s website.

Öztürk, a Fulbright scholar, had been arrested on March 25 by six masked ICE agents. Government prosecutors failed to produce any witnesses during the hearing, while the defence presented four, including Öztürk’s dissertation advisor.

Judge Sessions cited her medical condition, including asthma, as further grounds for her release and ruled that she posed no flight risk or threat. "Ms Öztürk may return freely to her residence in Massachusetts," he stated. "She is at the height of her academic career, which includes obligations to teach and participate in academic programmes outside the state."

Sessions also declined to impose any travel restrictions or electronic monitoring on the student.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to the ruling during a press briefing, saying the administration would consult the Department of Homeland Security on the matter.

“While we respect the court's decision, let me be clear: low-level judges should not be shaping US foreign policy,” Leavitt said. She stressed that the authority to deport undocumented immigrants lies with the president and the Department of Homeland Security, while visa revocations fall under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State.

“Entering this country on a visa is a privilege, not a right,” she added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier announced that Öztürk’s student visa had been revoked and that she would be deported. He also disclosed the cancellation of over 300 student visas, alleging that the affected individuals were “supporters of Hamas” and “opponents of Israel.”

However, a separate federal judge, Denise Casper, later issued a stay on Öztürk’s deportation.

Tufts University strongly defended the student, with President Sunil Kumar calling her arrest “deeply distressing” and warning that it had “paralysed the international academic community” at the institution.

By Aghakazim Guliyev

Source: caliber.az