Palestinian Activist Leqaa Kordia Released From U.S. Immigration Detention After Year in Custody
The Chronify
Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian activist detained in the United States after taking part in pro-Palestine demonstrations linked to Columbia University, has been released after spending about a year in immigration custody in Texas, according to Reuters, Al Jazeera, The Washington Post and The Guardian.
Kordia, 33, had been held at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado since March 2025. Reuters and other outlets reported that an immigration judge ruled three times that she was eligible for release on bond. U.S. government lawyers challenged the first two rulings, but did not appeal the third, allowing her to leave custody on a $100,000 bond.
After her release, Kordia told reporters she was relieved to finally be free after a year behind bars. Al Jazeera reported that she also said she would continue speaking out for others still being held, describing conditions inside detention as deeply unjust.
Her case drew attention because she was the last known protester still held in immigration detention in connection with the Columbia demonstrations. Reuters, The Washington Post and Al Jazeera all reported that others detained in the same broader crackdown, including Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi, had already been released.
Kordia’s lawyers argued that her detention was unjustified and that she did not pose a flight risk. According to Al Jazeera, her legal team told the court she had a neurological condition that worsened in custody and increased her risk of seizures. The Guardian and local U.S. outlet KERA also reported that she had recently been hospitalized after suffering a seizure in detention.
The case also became part of a wider debate over how U.S. immigration authorities handled pro-Palestine activism after the campus protests of 2024. The Washington Post reported that Kordia’s attorneys said she was being targeted because of her political speech, while the Department of Homeland Security maintained that the case centered on immigration status issues.
Kordia, who grew up in the occupied West Bank and moved to the United States in 2016, has said the war in Gaza devastated her family. Reuters noted in related reporting that her attorneys said she had lost more than 170 relatives during the conflict, while Al Jazeera and other reports placed the number at around 200 family members. Those differing figures reflect variations in how outlets described her family losses.
Her release does not end the legal fight. The Washington Post and The Guardian reported that Kordia will continue to contest her immigration case in court while out on bond. For her supporters, the release marks a major step after months of legal battles, medical concerns and criticism of her continued detention.
After her release, Kordia told reporters she was relieved to finally be free after a year behind bars. Al Jazeera reported that she also said she would continue speaking out for others still being held, describing conditions inside detention as deeply unjust.
Her case drew attention because she was the last known protester still held in immigration detention in connection with the Columbia demonstrations. Reuters, The Washington Post and Al Jazeera all reported that others detained in the same broader crackdown, including Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi, had already been released.
Kordia’s lawyers argued that her detention was unjustified and that she did not pose a flight risk. According to Al Jazeera, her legal team told the court she had a neurological condition that worsened in custody and increased her risk of seizures. The Guardian and local U.S. outlet KERA also reported that she had recently been hospitalized after suffering a seizure in detention.
The case also became part of a wider debate over how U.S. immigration authorities handled pro-Palestine activism after the campus protests of 2024. The Washington Post reported that Kordia’s attorneys said she was being targeted because of her political speech, while the Department of Homeland Security maintained that the case centered on immigration status issues.
Kordia, who grew up in the occupied West Bank and moved to the United States in 2016, has said the war in Gaza devastated her family. Reuters noted in related reporting that her attorneys said she had lost more than 170 relatives during the conflict, while Al Jazeera and other reports placed the number at around 200 family members. Those differing figures reflect variations in how outlets described her family losses.
Her release does not end the legal fight. The Washington Post and The Guardian reported that Kordia will continue to contest her immigration case in court while out on bond. For her supporters, the release marks a major step after months of legal battles, medical concerns and criticism of her continued detention.
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