A federal judge in Boston ruled Friday afternoon that a Tufts University graduate student cannot be deported until that judge decides whether she was lawfully taken into custody. Rumeysa Ozturk, who is from Turkey, was arrested Tuesday by undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Somerville and transported to an ICE detention facility in Louisiana, where she remains.”Ozturk shall not be removed from the United States until further Order of this Court,” Judge Denise J. Casper wrote. On Friday, Ozturk’s lawyers said that she had an asthma attack enroute to Louisiana and that her rights are being violated.Her lawyers had no idea she was transferred to the ICE detention facility in Louisiana, also pointing to two federal exhibits, one showing the federal government terminated her F1 student visa last Friday.The other was a notice to appear appear in court on April 7, in which the federal government claims she is deportable, without giving a reason.Her lawyers called the arrest “an effort to silence political speech,” arguing it violates the first amendment.Lawmakers are also demanding the Trump administration answer questions about her arrest.In a letter to ICE, the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a group of 28 lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, are questioning the arrest and want to know why Ozturk was detained.”The rationale for this arrest appears to be this student’s expression of her political views. We are calling for full due process in this case and are seeking answers about this case and about ICE’s policy that has led to the identification and arrest of university students with valid legal status,” the group wrote. The letter goes on to say, “Absent compelling evidence justifying her detention and the revocation of her status … we call for Ozturk’s release and the restoration of her visa.”Additionally, the letter questions what specific authority ICE has to arrest Ozturk, if she received any specific notice of her visa termination prior to her arrest, and how many other students have been arrested.Video of the 30-year-old’s detainment captured the moments federal agents approached Ozturk and took her into custody. She is now being detained in Louisiana. Her lawyers said she’s from Turkey, had a valid visa and no criminal history; however, Homeland Security officials said she “engaged in activities in support of Hamas,” but they’re not elaborating.On Thursday, Rubio laid out the federal government’s position in clear terms during an event in Guyana.”If you lie to us and get a visa and then enter the United States, and with that visa, participate in that sort of activity, we’re going to take away your visa,” Rubio said. “Once you’ve lost your visa, you’re no longer legally in the United States. And we have a right, like every country in the world has a right, to remove you from our country. So it’s just that simple.” Somerville City Council held a moment of silence for her during a Thursday night meeting, while people rallied outside for her safe return.”How just full of rage I am,” Somerville City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen said.Ozturk was taken away by ICE agents as she left her home to break the Ramadan fast. Her friends are now vouching for her, both professionally and personally, saying the Fulbright Scholar from Turkey had a valid visa, no criminal history, and is soft-spoken and non-violent.”She’s not a citizen of the U.S., but she’s an exemplary citizen, an exemplary person, exemplary student,” Ozturk’s friend Reyyan Bilge said. “The way she carried herself even in that video shows her personality, through and through. It’s unbelievable. It’s not constitutional.”Ozturk wrote an op-ed last year demanding Tufts University divest funding from Israel.Rubio said the U.S. revoked her visa.”If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us the reason you are coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus — we’re not going to give you a visa,” Rubio said.However, Ozturk’s friends said she did none of that.”This is freedom of speech, it’s not crossing the boundaries,” Bilge said.Students on Tufts’ campus have said the mood in recent days has been tense.”I think everyone is obviously very upset, very scared,” Tufts sophomore Ione McKerley said. “I know a lot of my international student friends are really worried about their situation.”Students also held a protest on Tufts’ campus in support of Ozturk on Wednesday, following her arrest on Tuesday. There is a student walkout planned for Tuesday on the Tufts academic green.”There’s definitely a lot of people that want to see her return safely,” Tufts freshman Luke Fredericks said. “A lot of people are obviously very angry and very confused why this is happening.”Additionally, protestors also rallied outside of Somerville City Hall on Thursday in support of Ozturk.”Let’s see the evidence,” protester Michael Johnson said. “The evidence will come out in court, but she’s not in court. She’s whisked away like the gulag. It’s sickening. People are getting ripped off the street because of their views? It’s wrong.”Ozturk’s friends said before her arrest, she had been getting doxed and that she was on the phone with her mother when ICE agents took her away.

SOMERVILLE, Mass. —A federal judge in Boston ruled Friday afternoon that a Tufts University graduate student cannot be deported until that judge decides whether she was lawfully taken into custody.

Rumeysa Ozturk, who is from Turkey, was arrested Tuesday by undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Somerville and transported to an ICE detention facility in Louisiana, where she remains.

“Ozturk shall not be removed from the United States until further Order of this Court,” Judge Denise J. Casper wrote.

On Friday, Ozturk’s lawyers said that she had an asthma attack enroute to Louisiana and that her rights are being violated.

Her lawyers had no idea she was transferred to the ICE detention facility in Louisiana, also pointing to two federal exhibits, one showing the federal government terminated her F1 student visa last Friday.

The other was a notice to appear appear in court on April 7, in which the federal government claims she is deportable, without giving a reason.

Her lawyers called the arrest “an effort to silence political speech,” arguing it violates the first amendment.

Lawmakers are also demanding the Trump administration answer questions about her arrest.

In a letter to ICE, the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a group of 28 lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, are questioning the arrest and want to know why Ozturk was detained.

“The rationale for this arrest appears to be this student’s expression of her political views. We are calling for full due process in this case and are seeking answers about this case and about ICE’s policy that has led to the identification and arrest of university students with valid legal status,” the group wrote.

The letter goes on to say, “Absent compelling evidence justifying her detention and the revocation of her status … we call for Ozturk’s release and the restoration of her visa.”

Additionally, the letter questions what specific authority ICE has to arrest Ozturk, if she received any specific notice of her visa termination prior to her arrest, and how many other students have been arrested.

Video of the 30-year-old’s detainment captured the moments federal agents approached Ozturk and took her into custody. She is now being detained in Louisiana.

Her lawyers said she’s from Turkey, had a valid visa and no criminal history; however, Homeland Security officials said she “engaged in activities in support of Hamas,” but they’re not elaborating.

On Thursday, Rubio laid out the federal government’s position in clear terms during an event in Guyana.

“If you lie to us and get a visa and then enter the United States, and with that visa, participate in that sort of activity, we’re going to take away your visa,” Rubio said. “Once you’ve lost your visa, you’re no longer legally in the United States. And we have a right, like every country in the world has a right, to remove you from our country. So it’s just that simple.”

Somerville City Council held a moment of silence for her during a Thursday night meeting, while people rallied outside for her safe return.

“How just full of rage I am,” Somerville City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen said.

Ozturk was taken away by ICE agents as she left her home to break the Ramadan fast.

Her friends are now vouching for her, both professionally and personally, saying the Fulbright Scholar from Turkey had a valid visa, no criminal history, and is soft-spoken and non-violent.

“She’s not a citizen of the U.S., but she’s an exemplary citizen, an exemplary person, exemplary student,” Ozturk’s friend Reyyan Bilge said. “The way she carried herself even in that video shows her personality, through and through. It’s unbelievable. It’s not constitutional.”

Ozturk wrote an op-ed last year demanding Tufts University divest funding from Israel.

Rubio said the U.S. revoked her visa.

“If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us the reason you are coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus — we’re not going to give you a visa,” Rubio said.

However, Ozturk’s friends said she did none of that.

“This is freedom of speech, it’s not crossing the boundaries,” Bilge said.

Students on Tufts’ campus have said the mood in recent days has been tense.

“I think everyone is obviously very upset, very scared,” Tufts sophomore Ione McKerley said. “I know a lot of my international student friends are really worried about their situation.”

Students also held a protest on Tufts’ campus in support of Ozturk on Wednesday, following her arrest on Tuesday. There is a student walkout planned for Tuesday on the Tufts academic green.

“There’s definitely a lot of people that want to see her return safely,” Tufts freshman Luke Fredericks said. “A lot of people are obviously very angry and very confused why this is happening.”

Additionally, protestors also rallied outside of Somerville City Hall on Thursday in support of Ozturk.

“Let’s see the evidence,” protester Michael Johnson said. “The evidence will come out in court, but she’s not in court. She’s whisked away like the gulag. It’s sickening. People are getting ripped off the street because of their views? It’s wrong.”

Ozturk’s friends said before her arrest, she had been getting doxed and that she was on the phone with her mother when ICE agents took her away.