• Immigration judge terminated the deportation proceedings against Rumeysa Ozturk.
• Government failed to prove grounds for removal related to her pro-Palestinian activism.
• Ozturk was detained after co-authoring a critical editorial on Israel's actions in Gaza.
• Her case highlights broader issues of free speech and immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
• Ozturk's legal team argued her detention violated her First Amendment rights.

In a significant legal decision, a US immigration judge has terminated the deportation proceedings against Rumeysa Ozturk, a PhD student at Tufts University. The ruling comes nearly a year after her arrest by immigration agents in March 2025, during a crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists. The immigration judge found that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had not met the burden of proof necessary for deporting her, leading to the termination of her removal proceedings, as reported by Reuters, Anadolu Agency, and Al Jazeera.

Ozturk's arrest was linked to her co-authorship of an opinion piece in the Tufts University student newspaper that criticized the institution's response to Israel’s military actions in Gaza. This editorial was cited as the sole reason for the revocation of her student visa by the Trump administration, which alleged that her activities posed adverse foreign policy consequences and supported Hamas. However, Ozturk's lawyers have characterized these claims as retaliatory and aimed at suppressing her free speech rights, according to Anadolu Agency and Reuters.

The tumultuous legal battle involved multiple transfers of Ozturk across various states, culminating in her detention for more than 45 days. She ultimately gained release after a federal judge found substantial claims of unlawful retaliation against her in violation of her free speech rights. Following this, the immigration judge's January decision marked a pivotal moment in her ongoing legal challenges, according to Al Jazeera.

Mahsa Khanbabai, Ozturk’s immigration lawyer, emphasized that this case demonstrates how the immigration system has been used politically to silence advocacy. She praised the immigration judge's decision while criticizing the administration's tactics, stating, “The Trump administration has weaponized our immigration system to target valued members of our communities,” as reported by Reuters and Anadolu Agency.

The case not only underscores the intersection of immigration enforcement and free speech but also highlights ongoing policy debates surrounding the treatment of non-citizen activists, particularly those involved in advocacy related to Palestinian rights. Ozturk's situation illustrates broader patterns of targeting by immigration authorities under the former administration, as was pointed out by advocacy groups and multiple legal observers, according to Al Jazeera.