Leqaa Kordia is a Palestinian woman from East Jerusalem who was detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 13, 2025, at an immigration office in Newark, New Jersey.[1] The government cited her overstaying an F-1 student visa, which had expired on January 26, 2022, after she left her academic program.[1][2] Kordia had previously been arrested at Columbia University during a pro-Palestinian demonstration, though those charges were later dropped.[2]
Following her detention, Kordia was transferred to the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.[3] Government attorneys alleged she had provided material support to Hamas based on money transfers to family members in Gaza. An immigration judge rejected that claim in April 2025, finding no evidence of any connection to a terrorist organization.[4] Despite a court order for her release on bond, Kordia remained in ICE custody while the government appealed and pursued removal proceedings.[5]
Kordia's case drew increasing public attention throughout 2025, with politicians, human rights organizations, and legal advocates calling for her release.[6][1] By January 2026, she had become the last Columbia protester remaining in immigration detention.[7][1]
Biography
Leqaa Kordia was born in East Jerusalem.[7] Her parents separated when she was young. Her mother lived in Gaza for a few years, and Kordia would travel back and forth from the strip to her father in Ramallah. Eventually, Kordia's mother moved to the United States and remarried, becoming a U.S. citizen. Kordia and her brother remained with her father in the West Bank.[1]
Kordia came to the U.S. in 2016 on a visitor visa and subsequently enrolled in English-language programs, first at Uceda Paterson and later at Bergen County Career Advancement Training, on an F-1 student visa.[1][2] In 2022, after her mother filed a family-based petition for Kordia to start the process of obtaining permanent residency, she dropped out of school.[1][2] She then cared for her mother and autistic half-brother in Paterson, New Jersey, working as a waitress. Since October 7, 2023, Kordia has lost over 200 relatives in the Gaza war and genocide, according to her attorney.[4]Kordia attended several protests in support of Palestine. In April 2024, she was arrested alongside 100 other protesters at Columbia University, but the charges were later dropped.[2]
Arrest by ICE agents and detention
Kordia arrived at the ICE field office in Newark, New Jersey for what she believed was a simple interview on March 13, 2025[8][9][10]. At the immigration hearing, she was detained and placed in an unmarked van, ultimately arriving at the Prairieland Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.[11][12] While detained at the center, she wrote an Op-ed for USA Today entitled "10 months later, I'm the last Columbia protester still in ICE custody" on January 21, 2026.[7]
Government attorneys alleged that Kordia was a Hamas supporter based on her transfer of money to support family members in the Middle East, in Gaza and elsewhere, since 2017. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) subpoenaed Kordia's records from Western Union and MoneyGram, which showed she had transferred funds to relatives in Gaza.[4]
On February 6, 2026, Kordia was hospitalized at Texas Health Huguley Hospital in Burleson, Texas following a seizure.[13] She was discharged back into ICE custody on February 9, 2026.[14] According to her attorney, Sarah Sherman-Stokes, ICE did not inform Kordia's family of the location where she received medical treatment, citing "a safety issue."[5] In a statement to the Guardian, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security dismissed Kordia’s claims about medical neglect.[15] Kordia wrote that, during her hospitalization, she was chained to a bed for 72 hours.[16]
On April 16, 2025, immigration judge Tara Naselow-Nahas filed a court order for Kordia's release on a $20,000 bond, stating "There is no evidence in the record that this person supports Hamas or is a member of a terrorist organization. In the absence of evidence of any connection to terrorist organizations, the Court cannot find that Respondent is supporting a terrorist organization by sending money to a family member in Palestine."[17] Despite this order, Kordia remained in ICE custody. According to Kordia, "ICE appealed the same day, saying that I'm dangerous, I went for a protest and all that."[18]
On April 30, 2025, Kordia's legal team filed a habeas corpus petition against DHS secretary Kristi Noem, US Attorney General Pam Bondi, and acting ICE director Todd Lyons. They described her detention as a violation of her civil liberties, and detailed the allegations of violations to Kordia's religious freedom while in custody. Her representatives from the Texas Civil Rights Project alleged her detention was a constitutional violation of the first amendment and fifth amendment for free speech and due process.[19][20][21]
In March 2025, the New York Police Department (NYPD) provided federal immigration agencies with legal information regarding Kordia. The four page report, provided to Homeland Security Investigations, included a summary of Kordia's April 2024 arrest as well as her date of birth and home address. On May 6, 2025, NYPD launched a probe into whether the department had violated policy by sharing Kordia's records with the federal agency.[22]
On November 3, 2025, the Department of Justice ordered Kordia removed, but granted withholding of removal. Kordia remains in detention pending the government's attempts to remove her to a third country.[23]
In March 2026, her attorney filed a petition for her release citing health concerns.[24]
Reactions
Initially, Kordia's case attracted little public attention despite her continued detention while other Gaza protesters arrested alongside her were released.[25][26][27] Her profile rose in late 2025 when The New Yorker profiled her as "The Last Columbia Protester in ICE Detention."[1]
Individuals and organizations
Amnesty International USA launched a campaign calling for her release in October 2025.[6] Her arrest and detention was also criticized by Mahmoud Khalil.[28] New York City First Lady Rama Duwaji created and shared original artwork supporting Kordia's release from detention.[29]
During Kordia's detention, demonstrations demanding her release were held in Dallas, Texas[24] and at Columbia University.[30]
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