Rümeysa Öztürk's hearing postponed
Turkey's Consul General in Houston, Ahmet Akıntı, announced that the hearing regarding the decision to revoke the visa of Rümeysa Öztürk, who was detained in the U.S. on March 25 and is being held at a detention center in Louisiana, has been postponed to May 20, 2025.
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Consul General Akıntı answered questions regarding the current status of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student who was detained in the U.S. on the grounds of supporting Palestine.
Recalling that Rümeysa Öztürk, who is pursuing a doctorate at Tufts University in Boston, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 25 and subsequently transferred to a detention center in Louisiana, Akıntı stated, "As the Turkish Consul General in Houston, I have spoken with Rümeysa Öztürk several times by phone and in person following her transfer to Louisiana, and I have expressed that our state stands with her."
Akıntı noted that the first hearing regarding Öztürk's immigration status and the revocation of her F1 student visa by the U.S. Department of State was held on April 16 at the Immigration Court in Louisiana, and that Öztürk attended the hearing with her lawyers.
Pointing out that Öztürk's request for release on bail was not accepted at the hearing, Akıntı said, "The judge had also decided that the next hearing regarding whether the U.S. Department of State has the authority to review the legality of the decision to revoke Rümeysa Öztürk's F1 student visa would be held on May 1, 2025. However, said hearing has been postponed to May 20, 2025."
Akıntı drew attention to the fact that a separate lawsuit regarding the application against Öztürk's detention is also ongoing at the Vermont District Court, stating, "Although the court in question ordered in its decision announced on April 18, 2025, that Rümeysa Öztürk be transferred to Vermont by May 1, 2025, the U.S. government has appealed this decision. For this reason, the transfer process of our citizen to Vermont has stopped at this stage. This process is also being followed by our Boston Consulate General."
Underlining that the legal processes concerning Rümeysa Öztürk are being followed by Turkish authorities, primarily the Turkish Embassy in Washington, Akıntı said, "We are in contact with her, her family, and her lawyers. We are providing all kinds of consular services that our citizen needs."