Detention of Leqaa Kordia
| Part of the activist deportations in the second Trump presidency | |
| Date | March 13, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Location | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Cause | Pro-Palestinian activism at Columbia University |
| Participants | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement |
| Arrests | Leqaa Kordia |
| Part of a series on the |
| Immigration policy of the second Trump administration |
|---|
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. The government cited her overstaying an F-1 student visa, which had expired on January 26, 2022, after she left her academic program. Kordia had previously been arrested at Columbia University during a pro-Palestinian demonstration, though those charges were later dropped.
Following her detention, Kordia was transferred to the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. 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. Despite a court order for her release on bond, Kordia remained in ICE custody while the government appealed and pursued removal proceedings.
Kordia's case drew increasing public attention throughout 2025, with politicians, human rights organizations, and legal advocates calling for her release. By January 2026, she had become the last Columbia protester remaining in immigration detention.