Rumeysa Ozturk arrived back in Massachusetts on Saturday evening, her eyes brimming with a mix of relief and gratitude after a harrowing six-week ordeal in federal custody — a case that sparked widespread outrage amidst President Trump’s immigration policies.

Ms. Ozturk, a Turkish national studying at Tufts University on a student visa, stepped off a flight at Boston Logan International Airport just one day after a federal judge in Vermont ordered her immediate release from a detention center in Louisiana.

Inside a room at the airport, she appeared cheerful and at ease, but her expressions occasionally betrayed the emotional toll of her recent experiences. Thanking her supporters for their unwavering kindness, she expressed love for the country that detained her and is still pursuing her deportation.

“America remains the greatest democracy in the world,” she said. “I still have faith in the American justice system.”

Ms. Ozturk, now in her fifth year of doctoral studies, was one of more than a thousand international students whose visas were abruptly revoked by the federal government as part of a broader crackdown targeting higher education. The Trump administration cited a campaign against antisemitism as the motive behind these measures.

Ozturk’s troubles began after she authored an opinion piece in the student newspaper criticizing Tufts University’s stance on pro-Palestinian demands. While her supporters deny any allegations of antisemitism, they argue that her detention was a retaliatory act against her free speech, a clear violation of the First Amendment.

Her friends and former professors gathered at the airport, torn between joy over her release and outrage that Ozturk — a Fulbright scholar specializing in children’s media and a model student known for her rule-abiding nature — was ever detained at all.

Gulay Kaplan, who has known Ozturk for a decade, drove 11 hours to meet her at the airport. Overwhelmed by emotion, she burst into tears upon seeing her friend.

“It’s shocking what she’s been through,” Kaplan said, describing Ozturk as a gentle and kind-hearted person. “She doesn’t have it in her to hate anyone.” Kaplan and others now fear that if such treatment could befall Ozturk, it could happen to any of them.

On Friday, Judge William K. Sessions III of the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont issued a stern rebuke, stating that Ozturk’s detention could potentially discourage “the speech of millions of non-citizens in this country.” Appointed by former President Clinton, Sessions noted that the government had failed to provide any substantial evidence beyond the pro-Palestinian essay Ozturk co-authored, despite alleging that she had engaged in activities supporting Hamas.

Attempts to reach the Department of Homeland Security for comment went unanswered. In a prior statement, a department spokesperson reiterated that “a visa is a privilege, not a right,” and that the agency would “continue efforts to apprehend, detain, and remove aliens without legal status.”

In late April, the Trump administration reinstated the legal status of thousands of international students, although it maintained that their visas could still be revoked in the future. Despite the policy reversal, Ozturk remained in custody until the federal court’s intervention.

At the airport, Representative Ayanna Pressley and Senator Edward J. Markey were on hand to welcome Ozturk back to Boston. “Rumeysa, our sister, we welcome you home with open arms,” said Pressley. “You are seen, you are loved, and we will not rest until you are fully exonerated, your visa is restored, and you are free to continue your studies and serve your community.”

Ozturk’s arrest in March, captured on surveillance footage, triggered an outpouring of condemnation from students, university leaders, and immigration advocates nationwide. She had been walking in Somerville, Massachusetts, when armed immigration agents surrounded her, whisking her away in a van. She was subsequently transported from New Hampshire to Vermont, and ultimately flown to a federal detention center in Louisiana.

While in detention, Ozturk experienced escalating asthma attacks, the first occurring during the flight to Louisiana. Despite seeking medical attention, she testified that the facility’s medical staff treated her dismissively. Ozturk was confined in a space designed for 14 women but housing 24.

Despite the trauma, Ozturk expressed gratitude for her supporters. Some read books to her over the phone and sent her letters of encouragement. A faculty advisor even managed to send her dissertation proposal to the detention center.

“So much love,” Ozturk said, visibly moved. She also urged the public not to forget the women still detained at the facility. “Please remember the amazing women I met there,” she said.

Reyyan Bilge, a psychology professor at Northeastern University who taught Ozturk as an undergraduate in Turkey, recounted the emotional roller coaster she endured while following the case. “You wait for so long to hear those words,” Bilge said of the court’s decision to release Ozturk. “But even now, it feels surreal. You keep wondering, is this really happening?”

Initially, Ozturk’s release was delayed when the government attempted to place her under electronic monitoring. Judge Sessions, however, issued a second order mandating her unconditional release.

Despite her release, a government lawyer stated that deportation proceedings against Ozturk would continue in immigration court. Still, legal experts believe her prospects now appear more favorable.

For Ozturk, Saturday marked the beginning of a new chapter — one filled with uncertainty but also renewed hope.

“I still believe in the values we share,” she said, her voice steady but resolute.