While hostages from the recent Israel-Gaza conflict have been returned as part of a ceasefire agreement brokered by the Trump administration in early October 2025, one Palestinian woman is rotting in jail, far from the headlines. Leqaa Kordia, a 32-year-old Palestinian, has been held in ICE custody in Texas since March 2025. Born in Jerusalem and raised in Ramallah, she moved to the United States in 2016 to reunite with her mother in Paterson, New Jersey.Kordia enrolled in an English-language programme on a student visa, while her mother filed a family-based petition for her permanent residency, which was approved in 2021. Kordia has said she believed the petition granted her lawful status, but US authorities contend she became undocumented after ending her student visa.Her detention followed participation in protests advocating for Palestinian rights, including one outside Columbia University in April 2024. The Department of Homeland Security claims she sent money to relatives in Gaza, presenting it as evidence of material support for Hamas.Kordia and her legal team deny involvement in terrorism, stating that the transfers were small, totaling around $16,900 over eight years, and intended solely to support her family. Federal judges have twice ordered her release, but government appeals have kept her in custody.
Early life and family background
Leqaa Kordia was born in Jerusalem and raised in Ramallah in the West Bank. Her parents divorced during her childhood, and she and her brother stayed with her father while her mother moved to the United States, later becoming a US citizen. Kordia states that during her youth, she had limited freedom due to Israeli military occupation, and she remained separated from her mother for years.She has described keeping in touch with relatives in Gaza through phone calls, allowing her to hear her cousins’ laughter and see glimpses of life there despite Israeli restrictions on movement. Kordia’s family ties have been a focus of legal scrutiny, as she has reportedly sent money to relatives over the years, a point cited by immigration authorities in her detention case.
Entry to the United States
In 2016, Kordia entered the US on a visitor visa to reunite with her mother in Paterson, New Jersey, a community with a significant Palestinian and Arab population. She enrolled in an English-language programme on an F-1 student visa and later withdrew, believing that her family-based permanent residency petition ensured lawful status. Immigration officials, however, contend that by terminating her student visa, she became undocumented.During her time in the US, Kordia worked as a waitress and helped care for her autistic half-brother. Court documents indicate she lived a largely ordinary life before her detention. According to her lawyers, she also took care of her mother, who resides in Paterson, and remained connected to her extended family in Gaza.
Personal and emotional motivations
Kordia has lost more than 175 relatives in Gaza since October 2023, when Israel launched military operations following attacks by Hamas. She has described receiving calls from family members reporting hunger, displacement, and fear. Kordia has stated that her participation in protests, including those outside Columbia University, was driven by concern for her family’s safety and her broader awareness of the conflict.The Department of Homeland Security has characterised such protests as supporting terrorist activity. Kordia, however, maintains that her involvement was limited to public demonstrations, without coordination with any group. She was reportedly one of the first people arrested at the Columbia protest, and charges were later dismissed.
ICE detention and allegations
Kordia was detained at an ICE office in Newark on 13 March 2025, after being asked to meet officials regarding her immigration status. The government alleges that she sent funds to relatives in Gaza, citing it as potential material support for Hamas. Kordia and her lawyers contend that the money, totalling approximately $16,900 over eight years, was intended to help family members with basic needs and recovery from conflict-related damage, including destroyed homes and businesses.According to court filings, Kordia was transferred to the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas, where she was reportedly assigned a mattress on the floor and received limited religious accommodations. Government officials argue she remains in detention due to perceived flight risk, while her lawyers claim there is no evidence linking her to terrorist activity.
Legal proceedings
Two federal judges have ordered Kordia’s release on bond, citing insufficient evidence of terrorist activity. The government has appealed these decisions, arguing that standard bond relief is inappropriate in her case. Legal experts have noted that prolonged detention in cases without serious criminal allegations is highly unusual.Court documents show that New York police provided records of her dismissed protest-related arrests to DHS, which her lawyers describe as improper. Kordia’s legal team emphasises that her case remains subject to ongoing appeals and additional asylum proceedings.
Life in detention
Kordia spends her days reading, praying, writing in a journal, and interacting with other detainees. According to her lawyers, she has faced restricted access to halal meals and minimal accommodation for religious practices. Visitors, including her cousin, have noted changes in her appearance and signs of stress and confusion. Kordia reports that she only learned the reasons for her detention days after arriving at the facility, through television coverage of protester arrests.She has formed connections with other detainees, some of whom have since been released, including Ward Sakeik, a Palestinian woman from Gaza. Kordia’s legal filings indicate she has lost significant weight and experiences stress over the possibility of deportation, which her lawyers say could place her in danger.
Ongoing appeals and public attention
Kordia is the last known participant from the Columbia protests still detained. Former detainees and human rights advocates have drawn attention to her case, while government authorities cite procedural and security reasons for continued detention. Mahmoud Khalil, a fellow protester who was released, has publicly referenced her case, noting that she remains “one person left behind.”The case has received limited media coverage, and officials from DHS have declined to provide detailed commentary. Legal observers describe her situation as indicative of the broader challenges faced by noncitizens involved in high-profile political protests.Kordia remains in federal custody while her appeals and asylum petition proceed. No final resolution has been reached. Lawyers and advocacy groups continue to monitor developments, emphasising that the outcomes could have broader implications for how US authorities handle the detention of noncitizen protesters. Go to Source
