Palestinian activist Leqaa Kordia released from ICE detention

Palestinian activist Leqaa Kordia, 33, was released from an ICE detention facility in Texas on March 17, 2026, after being held for a year. Kordia, who is from the occupied West Bank, had been in ICE custody following her connection to anti-genocide protests at Columbia University. Her release marks the end of ICE detention for individuals associated with those protests. The reasons for her initial detention and subsequent release were not specified in the provided information.

Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman arrested during Gaza war protests at Columbia University in April 2024, was released after a year in immigration detention in Texas. Kordia was initially arrested with over 100 others but released, then rearrested in March 2025 during a routine immigration check. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated her student visa was terminated in 2022 due to lack of attendance and investigated funds she sent overseas. An immigration judge found Kordia truthful about the funds and deemed the government's arguments against her release "disingenuous," setting bail at $100,000. Despite DHS maintaining Kordia violated her visa terms, she can return to New Jersey while her case continues. Kordia's attorney alleges she was unlawfully targeted for her pro-Palestinian advocacy.

Leqaa Kordia, a pro-Palestinian activist arrested at a protest outside Columbia University in April 2024, was released on a $100,000 bond after a year in ICE custody. Kordia, originally from the West Bank, had been detained after reporting for a routine check-in at an ICE office in New Jersey. Despite a judge ruling three times that she posed no threat, she remained detained at the Prairieland detention center in Texas. Her lawyers cited concerns about the conditions of the detention center, including a hospitalization Kordia experienced after suffering a seizure. Kordia was the last remaining person in immigration detention following the Trump administration's crackdown on pro-Palestine protesters.

Leqaa Kordia, the last remaining protester held in immigration detention following a campus crackdown initiated during the Trump administration, was released on Monday, March 16, 2026. She was released from the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. Kordia was greeted by friends, family, supporters, and her legal team upon her release. The reason for her initial detention and the length of her stay were not specified in the provided text. The release marks the end of immigration detention for protesters arrested during the aforementioned crackdown.