Turkish Tufts Student Urges for Transfer Amid Health Decline in Detention
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI
Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old Tufts University doctoral student from Turkey, is sounding alarms about her deteriorating health while being detained at a facility in Basile, Louisiana. Ozturk, who suffers from asthma, reports experiencing over eight attacks since her arrest by immigration officials on March 25, a stark increase from approximately nine such episodes over the previous two to three years.
Ahead of a federal court hearing, a three-judge panel is set to review the legality of her detention, which her lawyers argue violates her constitutional rights, including free speech and due process. A district court judge in Vermont had previously ordered her transfer for hearings to assess her detention’s legality, but the U.S. Justice Department is appealing this ruling, asserting that the Louisiana immigration court has jurisdiction over her case.
In court documents, Ozturk describes significant challenges in accessing adequate medical care, stating that her asthma attacks can last up to 45 minutes and that the crowded conditions in her detention unit hinder her ability to avoid triggers. She cites poor living conditions—like crowded dorm rooms and limited access to fresh air—as contributing to her worsening health. “I do not have control over the exposure to potential triggers,” she noted, adding that reports of mice in the facility further aggravate the situation.
Ozturk was detained shortly after co-authoring an op-ed calling on Tufts University to acknowledge Palestinian genocide and reconsider its investments. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security suggested, without evidence, that Ozturk’s actions were related to support for Hamas, a designation that raises serious concerns about the motivations behind her detention.
Ozturk’s growing health crisis highlights ongoing debates over immigration and detention policies amidst mounting national scrutiny.
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