Turkish PhD Student Detained in Harsh Conditions in U.S. Over Pro-Palestine Solidarity
Lawyers Warn of Health Crisis as Rümeysa Öztürk Faces Asthma Attacks and Neglect in Overcrowded Louisiana Facility.
Watan-The lawyers representing Turkish PhD student Rümeysa Öztürk, who is currently detained in the United States, have confirmed that she is being held in “inhumane conditions”, urging authorities not to delay her transfer to Vermont. Her detention stems from her public solidarity with Palestine.
In a formal statement, Öztürk’s legal team said they would file an appeal with the Court of Appeals to prevent any further postponement of her transfer to Vermont.
The statement described her current detention in Louisiana as a serious threat to her health, noting that she is being held in a cramped room with 23 other women in poorly ventilated conditions, which has led to frequent and worsening asthma attacks.
Whereas her asthma episodes previously lasted 5 to 15 minutes, they now extend to 45 minutes, the lawyers said.
Öztürk’s Detention Sparks Legal Clash as U.S. Revokes Visas of Pro-Palestine Students
Öztürk has been held for approximately six weeks, and according to the lawyers, she is exposed to insect and rodent waste, has minimal access to outdoor air, and faces medical negligence, with delayed interventions and dismissive behavior from the facility’s health staff.
A federal judge in Massachusetts had ruled that Öztürk’s case must continue in Vermont instead of Louisiana, and another judge in Vermont ordered her transfer to a local facility by May 1. However, the U.S. government objected to this decision on April 24.
Öztürk was arrested on March 25 in Massachusetts and then transferred to Louisiana, where the initial hearing in her case took place.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously stated that Öztürk’s visa had been revoked and that the U.S. intended to deport her.
Rubio also revealed that the U.S. had revoked visas of over 300 foreign students, labeling them as “pro-Hamas” and “lunatics” for their stance against Israel.
As of March, the United States has revoked the legal status of over 1,000 international students.
Several students have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration for canceling their visas, and temporary court orders have restored status to a limited number of them.
