In late March a lone woman, a doctoral student at Tufts University, was surrounded by six people wearing hoodies and masks. She was plucked off the street, bound with handcuffs, and forced into an un-marked car which whisked off to whereabouts unknown.
Her mysterious abductors, who refused to identify themselves on the scene, turned out to be your United States Government. They were agents of ICE who transported her to a series of facilities before incarcerating thousands of miles away in a facility in remote Louisiana, all in an effort to isolate her from counsel and confound appeal.
The victim of this government approved kidnapping is Rumeysa Ozturk. She is not a citizen, but was in this country LEGALLY on a student visa. I wrote about her story previously. I wrote about her abduction previously.
She was in America legally and she committed no crime. She STILL has not been charged with any crime. She did not participate in any violent protests, or sit ins, she never trespassed or did anything illegal.
Her only "crime," in this eyes of this Regime, is that she wrote something. A year ago she wrote an editorial in the student newspaper critical of the university's reaction to Israel's invasion of Gaza. The editorial in no way advocated or supported violence. You can read it HERE.
In regards to that editorial, in March I wrote the following:
"I don’t ask that you agree with the editorial. I do ask that we all understand that in this nation anyone and everyone is free to write such an opinion. Visitors included."
Today a judge had a habeas corpus hearing reviewing whether she should remain incarcerated while she challenges Marco Rubio's unilateral decision to revoke her visa. The judge ordered that she be immediately released pending further proceedings. The judge stated:
"I see no evidence of risk or danger of any kind. The court orders ICE to release Rümeysa Öztürk from custody IMMEDIATELY. She is free to return to her home in Massachusetts. Also free to travel within Mass and VT. I'm not going to restrict her travel, because I see no danger of flight."
The judge also had this to say, and it is relevant to us all:
"Her continued detention potentially chills the speech of the millions and millions of individuals in this country who are not citizens. Any one of them may now avoid exercising their First Amendment rights for fear of being whisked away to a detention center."
People are being jailed for Constitutionally protected speech. Right here in America. By suppressing her speech this Regime hopes to intimidate all who would speak against it. Such tactics always start with those already unpopular, and with views disliked by many. That's how they start.
Notwithstanding the judge’s order, now several hours old, I can find no evidence that Rumeysa Ozturk has actually been released yet.
EDIT AND UPDATE
Can confirm that with the last hour Ozturk has been released. She made a brief statement thanking supporters.
www.nbcboston.com/…
In addition Kos contacted me wanting links to where I got this story. Frankly, it’s all over the news, but the judge’s order was verbal, issued from the bench at a habeas hearing earlier today. Several people on Bluesky followed the hearing live and it was from there I got the quotes. This is an example.
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Judge Session: I see no evidence of risk or danger of any kind. The court orders ICE to release Rümeysa Öztürk from custody IMMEDIATELY. She is free to return to her home in Massachusetts. Also free to travel within Mass and VT. I'm not going to restrict her travel, because I see no danger of flight
— Joshua J. Friedman (@joshuajfriedman.com) 2025-05-09T17:16:47.199Z
