President Trump frees last Palestinian detainee from 2025 campus crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism.
Image: Hawai'i Public Radio

President Trump frees last Palestinian detainee from 2025 campus crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism.

17 March, 2026.USA.1 sources

Key Takeaways

  • Leqaa Kordia, 33, from the West Bank, released after a year in U.S. immigration detention.
  • Trump administration's 2025 crackdown targeted pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses.
  • She had been held in a Texas immigration detention center since last March.

Detainee Released

Leqaa Kordia, a 33-year-old Palestinian woman from the West Bank who has lived in New Jersey since 2016, was released from immigration detention on Monday after being held for one year.

ALVARADO, Texas — A Palestinian woman who was the last person still in immigration detention after the Trump administration's 2025 crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses was freed Monday after a year in custody

Hawai'i Public RadioHawai'i Public Radio

Her release marked the end of a controversial Trump administration crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism that began in 2025.

Image from Hawai'i Public Radio
Hawai'i Public RadioHawai'i Public Radio

Kordia had been detained at a U.S. immigration detention center in Alvarado, Texas since March of the previous year.

She became the final individual remaining in custody from this specific enforcement action targeting campus protests.

Protest Connection

The circumstances surrounding Kordia's detention were directly linked to her participation in a protest outside Columbia University in 2024.

This protest was part of a broader wave of campus activism supporting Palestinian rights that drew the attention of federal authorities.

Image from Hawai'i Public Radio
Hawai'i Public RadioHawai'i Public Radio

Her case became emblematic of the government's response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Immigration enforcement was utilized against individuals involved in such campus-based activism.

Emotional Release

Her emotional response captured the profound personal impact of prolonged immigration detention.

The year-long separation from her life in New Jersey and uncertainty of her immigration status had taken a toll.

Her simple yet powerful statement of disbelief reflected her experience.

Broader Context

Kordia's case highlights the intersection of immigration enforcement, political activism, and campus protests.

This occurred during a period of increased scrutiny on pro-Palestinian advocacy.

Image from Hawai'i Public Radio
Hawai'i Public RadioHawai'i Public Radio

As the final detainee from the 2025 crackdown, her release may signal a shift in enforcement priorities.

It could also mark the conclusion of this particular initiative targeting campus-based expressions of support for Palestinian rights.

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