Fact Check: In late May, a federal judge in Vermont ordered her release from immigration custody citing concerns about the legal basis for her visa revocation and extended detention.

Fact Check: In late May, a federal judge in Vermont ordered her release from immigration custody citing concerns about the legal basis for her visa revocation and extended detention.

Published June 13, 2025
VERDICT
True

# Fact Check: "In late May, a federal judge in Vermont ordered her release from immigration custody citing concerns about the legal basis for her visa...

Fact Check: "In late May, a federal judge in Vermont ordered her release from immigration custody citing concerns about the legal basis for her visa revocation and extended detention."

What We Know

In late May 2025, U.S. District Court Judge William K. Sessions III ordered the release of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish graduate student who had been in federal immigration custody for approximately six weeks. The judge's ruling followed a three-hour hearing where Öztürk participated remotely from a detention center in Louisiana. The judge expressed concerns regarding the legal basis for her visa revocation, stating that the government had not provided sufficient evidence beyond her political opinions expressed in an op-ed to justify her detention (VTDigger). Sessions highlighted that Öztürk's detention could infringe upon her First Amendment rights and noted the adverse effects on her health due to her worsening asthma condition while in custody (VTDigger).

Analysis

The evidence presented during the hearing indicated that Öztürk's detention was not only a potential violation of her rights but also detrimental to her health. Judge Sessions remarked on the lack of substantial evidence from the government to justify her arrest, which had been primarily based on her political speech regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict (VTDigger). This aligns with broader concerns about the chilling effect on free speech for non-citizens in the U.S.

The sources used in this fact-check are credible, particularly VTDigger, which is known for its thorough reporting on local issues, including immigration and legal matters. The judge's statements were reported directly from the court proceedings, ensuring accuracy in the representation of his concerns (VTDigger). Other sources, such as NBC News and CBS News, corroborate the timeline and details of the case, further establishing the reliability of the information (NBC News, CBS News).

Conclusion

The claim that a federal judge in Vermont ordered Rümeysa Öztürk's release from immigration custody due to concerns about the legal basis for her visa revocation and extended detention is True. The evidence presented during the court proceedings, as well as the judge's remarks regarding the implications for free speech and Öztürk's health, support this conclusion.

Sources

  1. Vermont federal judge orders Rümeysa Öztürk to be released from custody
  2. Federal government appeals judge's order to move detained Tufts student
  3. Judge rejects federal government’s attempt to halt detained Tufts student’s return to Vermont

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Fact Check: drug widely used to treat nerve pain has been linked with dementia and cognitive impairment. A new study analyzing over 26,000 patient records has found a significant link between long-term gabapentin use and increased risk of both dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Patients with six or more prescriptions were 29% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia and 85% more likely to develop MCI within a decade. The risk was even greater among adults aged 35 to 49, prompting researchers to urge physicians to monitor cognitive health in patients using the drug long-term. Gabapentin has grown in popularity as a less addictive alternative to opioids. However, its mechanism—dampening communication between neurons—may also disrupt critical brain connections, potentially contributing to cognitive decline. While past research has been inconclusive, this new study’s large sample size offers more weight to the growing concerns. Researchers stress the importance of further investigation to determine whether gabapentin plays a causal role in dementia development or simply correlates with other risk factors in chronic pain patients. Source: Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine (2025).

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Fact Check: Transcript
00:00
I cannot believe that Trump is
cutting Medicaid. Actually,
what I meant to say is that I
can't believe he's not cutting
more of it because medicaid is
a money laundering scheme for
your government.
Congratulations all you
bleeding heart democrats.
Instead of raging against the
machine, you're bending over
for it. Medicaid is jointly run
by the states and the feds and
for every one dollar that your
state allocates to the program,
the Feds turn around and match
that at a level of one 00
percent so one dollar up to
nine dollars. And this money
comes from taxpayers in other
00:34
states. Your money has a 900%
return rate at someone else's
expense. Why wouldn't you
expand the program? Thanks
Obama. That's exactly how we
wound up with way too many
Medicaid recipients in the
first place. Like everything
related to healthcare the
providers are in bed with the
government on this one too
because the government can tax
the providers. 1. Use that
dollar to collect the up to
nine dollars in federal funds
and to reimburse the provider
their original dollar. What?
Robbing the taxpayer to pad the
funding pool leading to
increase reimbursements for
01:06
Medicaid for the providers.
Yeah, if I'm a doctor or a
health care facility, I'm
saying sign me up to that. Yes,
the medical industrial complex
totally has your best interest
in mind so go ahead and swallow
up those vaccines like a good
little comrade. Age me harder
daddy. And speaking of
comrades, do you know how many
people in this country receive
Medicaid that shouldn't? Before
you start screaming, everyone
should get free health care.
Not the argument here. We do
not have universal health care
in the United States. It
doesn't work and since we don't
have it, that means someone is
paying for it and guess what?
There are lower-income families
01:37
who don't qualify for the
benefits but they're taxpayers
and they're being burdened by
this. Back to the point which
is that the system is insanely
abused. I used to do child
support referee work for years
and you would v
Partially True

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