Leqaa Kordia: Columbia Protestor Detained – Updates & Details

Alvarado, Texas – Calls are intensifying for the release of Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian protester arrested following a 2024 demonstration at Columbia University in support of Gaza. Despite the initial charges being dismissed, Kordia was re-arrested during a routine ICE check-in this past March and has been detained at the Prairieland Detention Center ever since. The situation highlights concerns about the targeting of activists and the use of immigration enforcement to stifle dissent.

A Case Lost in the System?

Advocates say Kordia’s detention is a troubling example of how immigration law can be weaponized against political speech.

• Leqaa Kordia was arrested after participating in a Gaza solidarity protest at Columbia University in 2024.
• Charges against her were dismissed, but she was re-arrested during an ICE check-in in March.
• She remains detained at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.
• Advocates allege a pattern of using immigration law to suppress pro-Palestinian activism.

While other Columbia University student protesters, including Mohsen Mahdawi and Mahmoud Khalil, have been released from ICE detention, Kordia’s case appears to have stalled. “Her case sort of fell between the cracks,” explained Laila El-Haddad, a Palestinian writer and journalist from Gaza, after a recent visit with Kordia. The detention raises questions about equitable treatment within the immigration system and the potential for political motivations influencing enforcement actions.

El-Haddad strongly criticized the Trump administration’s policies, arguing they initiated a broader effort to “crack down on any dissent and use immigration law, to weaponize immigration law to silence dissent and to criminalize free speech, especially when that speech relates to Palestine.” This perspective suggests Kordia’s arrest isn’t an isolated incident but part of a larger trend.

What is ICE check-in? ICE check-in, or Compliance Reporting, is a process where non-citizens subject to deportation proceedings are required to regularly report to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. These check-ins are intended to monitor compliance with deportation orders but have become a point of concern for advocates who argue they can lead to unexpected arrests and detentions.

The ongoing detention of Leqaa Kordia is fueling debate about the intersection of immigration enforcement, free speech, and political activism. Advocates are urging ICE to review her case and prioritize her release, arguing that her detention sets a dangerous precedent for the suppression of dissent.