A federal judge in Vermont ordered the Trump administration on Friday to release Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University student who was suddenly arrested in March.
Ozturk, a former Fulbright scholar, has been in custody since March 25, when he was surrounded by immigrants and customs enforcement agents outside his Summerville, Massachusetts home.
When seeking her release, her lawyers accused the government of detaining her in unconstitutional retaliation for her protected speech. The main evidence against her appears to be a critical essay for Israel, who helped her write in Tufts' Student Newspaper last year.
Video footage of Ozturk's detention has spread through word of mouth, leading to public outrage over her treatment by critics who say the government is abusing the immigration system to deport international students.
Oztulk has been detaining Louisiana for six weeks and endured unsanitary conditions that have led to increasingly serious asthma attacks, her lawyer said in court documents.
Earlier this week, the federal court of appeals ordered that they be transferred to Vermont by next week to attend a bail hearing. However, judge in her case, William K. Sessions decided to hold a hearing with Mr. Oztalc, still of Louisiana, and ordered her release.
This is a developing story. Please check for updates.
