Rümeysa Öztürk, the Tufts University student who was grabbed by ICE agents in Somerville, has finally been ordered to be set free by a federal judge in Vermont. The poor girl has been stuck in a detention center in Louisiana for about six weeks, which has apparently made her asthma worse. Like, seriously, six weeks in Louisiana? That’s rough.
The judge, William K. Sessions III, made the call after hearing from Öztürk herself during a remote bail hearing all the way from Louisiana. The girl even had an asthma attack during the hearing, which must have been super scary. But hey, at least now she can go back to Massachusetts and get back to her studies, under some supervision stuff, of course.
Öztürk’s legal team argued that she’s not a danger to the community or a flight risk, and that her health is deteriorating. I mean, being stuck in a detention center for weeks can’t be good for anyone’s health, right? The poor girl is just trying to get her PhD in Child Study and Human Development, not cause trouble.
I’m not really sure why they arrested her in the first place. Something about her student visa being revoked because she wrote an article or something? But like, the government didn’t really have any evidence to back up their claims. Seems kinda fishy if you ask me. They didn’t even tell her her visa was revoked before they swooped in and took her away.
Sessions mentioned that Öztürk is just a dedicated student trying to do her thing and doesn’t seem like the violent protester they’re trying to paint her as. I mean, she was just writing an opinion piece, not starting a riot or anything. Sessions also pointed out that keeping her locked up like this could scare other international students from speaking their minds. Not cool, man.
The whole situation caused a lot of outrage, with people all over rallying for her release. She’s getting ready to head back to Massachusetts, thanks to the judge’s ruling. I hope she gets the chance to finish her studies and get back to her research. And seriously, removing her hijab without permission? That’s just not right.
It’s great to see Öztürk getting the support she needs to get back on track. Her professors and colleagues are all ready to help her out when she returns, which is awesome. Let’s hope she can put this whole ordeal behind her and focus on her studies. Just imagine the relief she must be feeling right now.
All in all, this whole situation has been a rollercoaster, but it looks like Öztürk is finally getting the chance to breathe easy again. Let’s hope she can put this chapter behind her and get back to doing what she loves. Stay strong, girl!
