Leqaa Kordia

1. Prairieland Detention Center
   Dates unknown

Leqaa Kordia (Arabic: لقاء كردية) is a Palestinian woman from East Jerusalem who was detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 13, 2025, at an immigration office in Newark, New Jersey. The government cited her overstaying an F-1 student visa, which had expired on January 26, 2022, after she left her academic program. Kordia had previously been arrested at Columbia University during a pro-Palestinian demonstration, though those charges were later dropped. Following her detention, Kordia was transferred to the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. Government attorneys alleged she had provided material support to Hamas based on money transfers to family members in Gaza. An immigration judge rejected that claim in April 2025, finding no evidence of any connection to a terrorist organization. Despite two court orders for her release on bond, Kordia remained in ICE custody while the government appealed the orders while pursuing removal proceedings. Her continued detention was enabled by the government filing automatic stays, which allow the government to keep a person detained during an appeal. Kordia's case drew increasing public attention throughout 2025, with politicians, human rights organizations, and legal advocates calling for her release. By January 2026, she had become the last Columbia protester remaining in immigration detention. On March 16, 2026, she was released from detention after the government did not appeal a third court order for her release.