Leqaa Kordia, ICE detainee from New Jersey, released after 1 year in custody
A Palestinian woman from New Jersey who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a facility in Texas for a year was released on Monday.
Leqaa Kordia, 33, was one of roughly 100 people arrested outside Columbia University during protests in 2024, but was not a student at the school, nor was she affiliated with it, the school said.
"I don't know what to say. I'm free! I'm free! Finally, after one year," Kordia told reporters after emerging from the detention center.
Why Kordia was detained
Kordia was detained in March of last year during a routine immigration check-in in New Jersey. The Department of Homeland Security alleged she was "found to be providing financial support to individuals living in nations hostile to the U.S."
Her cousin told CBS News New York she had sent her family overseas some money.
Kordia was recently hospitalized after suffering a seizure in the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas. She was hospitalized for several days.
Friday, an immigration judge ordered her released on bond, and the federal government didn't appeal.
"In my meeting with President Trump last month, we discussed ICE's actions at Columbia University. I asked that the federal government release Leqaa Kordia and drop the cases against four others. I am grateful that Leqaa has been released this evening from ICE custody after more than a year in detention for speaking up for Palestinian rights," New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
"This is an important step in restoring Leqaa's rights"
Kordia's family members and advocates said they are thrilled the ordeal is finally over.
"We are overwhelmed with relief and gratitude at the release of our beloved Leqaa Kordia," said Hamzah Abushaban, cousin of Leqaa Kordia. "This past year has taken an unimaginable toll on Leqaa and our entire family. We are grateful to our community that stood beside us every step of the way, and for the countless prayers offered during this past Ramadan -- those moments of sincerity and hope carried us through some of our darkest days."
"We are elated and relieved that Leqaa can finally return home to her family in New Jersey after a long year in ICE detention," said Sarah Sherman-Stokes, supervising attorney with the Boston University School of Law Immigrants Rights Clinic. "This is an important step in restoring Leqaa's rights as she continues to be unlawfully targeted by the government for her advocacy for Palestinian rights. We will continue this fight in both immigration and federal courts for as long as it takes, not only for Leqaa but for the freedom of all people facing unjust retaliation for speaking out against genocide."
"Today we are celebrating the long-delayed news that Leqaa will be reunited with her family in New Jersey," said Travis Fife, staff attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project. "Since her detention over one year ago, the government has taken every effort to deny her basic rights and freedom, blocking her release not once but twice. Leqaa going home today is the bare minimum. We must continue to assert the fundamental First Amendment principle that the government cannot abuse power to punish people for using their voice."
