Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) is taking the government to court over its refusal to disclose information about the arrest of Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk for exercising her constitutionally protected right to free speech.

FPF, represented by Loevy + Loevy, filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the State Department in the District Court for the District of Columbia today to force the release of two documents that will shed light on the government’s targeting of Öztürk.

Öztürk was arrested by Immigration and Custom Enforcement officials in March after the Trump administration made unsubstantiated claims that she supported Hamas and participated in activities that “undermine U.S. foreign policy by creating a hostile environment for Jewish students.” Her real offense, in the eyes of the Trump administration, appears to have been co-authoring an opinion for The Tufts Daily calling on the university to recognize what the op-ed called “the Palestinian genocide.”

Shortly after her arrest, The Washington Post reported on the existence of two leaked State Department memos that completely undercut the government’s claims that Öztürk supported Hamas.

The first memo concluded that the Trump administration “had not produced any evidence” showing that Öztürk had either engaged in antisemitic activities or made public statements supporting a terrorist organization.

The second memo from the State Department to the Department of Homeland Security reported that the revocation of Öztürk’s visa had been approved under a discretionary authority that does not require a rationale or evidence for cancellation.

FPF filed FOIA requests for both of these records nearly six weeks ago.

The State Department has yet to release either document, even after U.S. District Judge William Sessions III ordered Öztürk’s release from custody, finding her only apparent offense was co-authoring the op-ed.

Öztürk never should have been arrested and she never should have spent 45 days in detention. And the government should not be allowed to hide evidence that it is terrorizing people for engaging in their right to free speech.

Our FOIA lawsuit will help Öztürk defend herself if the Department of Homeland Security continues its efforts to deport her, and make it more difficult for ICE agents the next time they want to drag a journalist off the street.

Read the complaint here.