Rumeysa Ozturk's federal case transferred to Vermont
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A federal judge in Boston ordered federal immigration authorities to transfer Tufts international student Rumeysa Ozturk's lawsuit over her detainment to Vermont.
Why it matters: The ruling enables attorneys for Ozturk, who has ostensibly been targeted for pro-Palestinian activism, to fight her lawsuit against the Trump administration closer to home and, arguably, in a jurisdiction that may be more sympathetic to her plight.
Catch up quick: Ozturk, who was arrested in broad daylight by ICE agents in Somerville, had her student visa revoked after a pro-Israeli group, Canary Mission, doxxed her over a pro-Palestinian op-ed in Tufts' student newspaper.
- One of the most shocking elements of Ozturk's detainment — and a legal wrinkle — is that her whereabouts were unknown for close to a day as ICE agents shuttled her from Massachusetts to Vermont to Louisiana, where she currently sits in a detention center.
- Ozturk's attorneys accused the Trump administration of "forum shopping," keeping her whereabouts unknown until they could get her to a jurisdiction believed to be more likely to side with government attorneys.
Driving the news: Judge Denise Casper ruled that Ozturk's habeas corpus petition should be heard by the District of Vermont's federal court, not the District of Western Louisiana as Trump administration lawyers requested.
- Casper said the order barring the government from removing Ozturk from the country remains in place at least until the District of Vermont orders otherwise.
Zoom in: Casper didn't go as far as to echo the "forum shopping" allegations Ozturk's attorneys made, but she raised concerns about how agents handled Ozturk's detention.
- While U.S. Assistant Attorney Mark Sauter said the government had a pre-arranged plan for Ozturk's detention and transfer, rather than plans to seek a friendlier venue, Casper said their transport — even after finding out about Ozturk's lawsuit — doesn't show "a lack of an attempt to manipulate jurisdiction," either.
What's next: Ozturk's hearing in immigration court, a separate legal matter, is Monday.