Tue Dec 09 02:09:34 UTC 2025: ## U.S. Court Sides with Pro-Palestinian Activist, Orders Student Status Restored

BOSTON, USA – December 9, 2025 – In a significant victory for free speech and academic freedom, a federal judge in Boston has ordered the restoration of a Tufts University PhD student’s status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a key database tracking foreign students. The ruling allows Rumeysa Ozturk, a vocal pro-Palestinian activist, to resume her on-campus work and continue her studies.

Chief U.S. District Judge Denise Casper issued an injunction on Monday, finding that Ozturk was likely to succeed in proving the Trump administration unlawfully terminated her SEVIS record in March, the same day she was taken into custody by plainclothes agents. The termination prevented her from being employed.

Ozturk’s ordeal began when her student visa was revoked by the State Department following an editorial she co-authored in the Tufts student newspaper criticizing the university’s response to the war in Gaza. The incident, captured in a viral video, sparked outrage and drew criticism from civil rights groups. She was detained for 45 days before a federal judge ordered her release, citing concerns that her detention constituted unlawful retaliation for exercising her First Amendment rights.

While Ozturk was able to resume her studies, the continued lack of SEVIS reinstatement prevented her from teaching or working as a research assistant. Judge Casper criticized the administration’s “shifting justifications” for the termination, finding that Ozturk had complied with all rules governing foreign students.

“I am grateful for the ruling and hope that no one else experiences the injustices I have suffered,” Ozturk said in a statement. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not yet responded to requests for comment.

The ruling is being hailed by civil liberties advocates as a crucial step in protecting the rights of foreign students to engage in political expression without fear of retribution. It remains to be seen how the administration will respond to the court’s decision.

Read More