ICE Holds Palestinian Leqaa Kordia One Year Despite Repeated Judges' Release Orders

Leqaa Kordia is a 33-year-old Muslim Palestinian who was detained after meeting with Department of Homeland Security agents and transferred far from her family to Texas while she was pursuing legal permanent residency in the United States.

“One year ago, on March 13, 2025, Palestinian Columbia protester Leqaa Kordia was arrested and detained after turning herself into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in New Jersey”

Mondoweiss

Patch reports that “Kordia, a 33-year-old Muslim Palestinian woman, voluntarily met with Department of Homeland Security agents after she learned she was being investigated by immigration authorities.”

Mondoweiss

The same report adds that “She was immediately detained and transferred from New Jersey to Prairieland Detention Facility in Texas, far from her family and immigration attorney,” and Mondoweiss notes that “the campus where she was arrested for protesting genocide almost two years ago has not forgotten Kordia.”

Her arrest traces to campus protests against Israel’s campaign in Gaza, and supporters describe ongoing solidarity actions demanding her release.

Patch states she “came to the attention of immigration authorities after her arrest at a protest in 2024 outside of Columbia University against Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip.”

Patch

Mondoweiss documents that students, faculty, and community members organized a relay hunger strike and weekly vigils in her name, saying “The strike was, in-part, launched by faculty already organizing a weekly vigil in honor of detained community members, including Kordia,” and noting ongoing protests at Columbia locations.

Supporters have maintained sustained public actions — including a hunger strike that organizers described as an act of embodied solidarity timed around Ramadan — and students and community members continue to raise awareness at Columbia’s gates.

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Mondoweiss reports that Barnard and Columbia students and faculty “started a relay hunger strike on March 9” and quotes a faculty organizer saying, “The idea is really solidarity fasting for her observing Ramadan, or trying to observe as best as she can.”

The piece also documents that “Around 25 people total have participated in the strike thus far,” and that vigils and tabling are ongoing at campus locations.

Patch’s reporting on her case provides the immigration context that explains why supporters emphasize her separation from family during these sustained actions.

Kordia’s supporters say the case has galvanized campus activism and created personal moments of solidarity, with passersby writing letters and families participating in the effort to secure her release.

Mondoweiss describes how “Protesters have been posted at 116th and Broadway while tabling and raising awareness of Kordia’s case 24 hours a day” and recounts an instance in which a local resident and his daughter stopped to write letters.

Patch

Patch emphasizes that Kordia was pursuing legal permanent residency when detained, underscoring supporters’ concerns about her being held away from family and counsel.

Despite a judge’s bond hearing and widespread solidarity, Kordia remained in custody with supporters awaiting a decision; she issued a public statement thanking those who attended the hearing and reiterating her wish to be released to her family.

“NJ Woman Held By ICE For A Year, Despite Judges’ Release Orders Friday marks a year since the woman's arrest, as lawmakers and advocacy groups demand her release”

Patch

Mondoweiss reports that “In the wake of the judge’s decision, Kordia’s supporters still await her potential release, with an answer not expected until Monday,” and quotes Kordia saying, “I’m deeply grateful for all the people who attended today’s bond hearing on the one year mark of my detention.”

Mondoweiss

Patch records that “The charges were later dismissed in the interests of justice,” highlighting conflicting legal developments described in coverage.