Judge Blocks Deportation of Turkish Student Over Pro-Palestinian Speech

Press freedom advocates hailed the decision, while the Department of Homeland Security called it "judicial activism".

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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An immigration court has blocked efforts by the Trump administration to deport a Turkish student, Rumeysa Ozturk, who was detained for over six weeks in Boston over an opinion article she wrote criticizing Tufts University's response to the Israel-Gaza war. A federal judge in Vermont had previously ordered Ozturk's release in May 2025, and an immigration court has now determined that the Department of Homeland Security did not meet its burden of proving her removability, leading to the deportation proceedings being dropped.

Why it matters

The case has been described as "arguably the most blatant press freedom violation of this century" by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, as the administration appeared to target Ozturk solely for expressing views critical of the U.S. government's stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict, which are shared by millions of Americans.

The details

Ozturk was arrested in Boston in March 2025 after writing an opinion article for Tufts University's student newspaper that criticized the school's response to the Israel-Gaza war. She was detained for over six weeks before a federal judge in Vermont ordered her release in May 2025. The immigration court has now determined that the Department of Homeland Security did not meet its burden of proving Ozturk's removability, leading to the deportation proceedings being dropped.

  • Ozturk was arrested in Boston in March 2025.
  • A federal judge in Vermont ordered Ozturk's release in May 2025.
  • The immigration court determined on January 29, 2026 that the Department of Homeland Security did not meet its burden of proving Ozturk's removability.

The players

Rumeysa Ozturk

A Turkish student who was detained for over six weeks in Boston over an opinion article she wrote criticizing Tufts University's response to the Israel-Gaza war.

Monica Allard

An attorney among Ozturk's legal counsel.

Seth Stern

The Chief of Advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, who described the case as "arguably the most blatant press freedom violation of this century".

Kristi Noem

The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, who stated that "anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-American and anti-Semitic violence and terrorism" will not be tolerated.

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What they’re saying

“The administration did not even bother to present a pretext for its actions – it arrested her, jailed her in horrific conditions and sought to expel her solely because she expressed views shared by millions of Americans about one of the most important issues of our time.”

— Seth Stern, Chief of Advocacy, Freedom of the Press Foundation

“(DHS Secretary Kristi Noem) has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-American and anti-Semitic violence and terrorism – think again.”

— Department of Homeland Security spokesperson (USA TODAY)

What’s next

The White House has vowed to appeal the federal judge's ruling in Boston that ordered the Trump administration to cease efforts to deport foreign-born student protesters over pro-Palestinian speech.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration's efforts to crack down on perceived anti-American and anti-Semitic speech, and the protections afforded by the First Amendment. The decision to block Ozturk's deportation is a victory for press freedom advocates, but the administration's continued efforts to target foreign-born students for their political views raise concerns about the state of free speech in the United States.