A Palestinian woman from New Jersey involved in the anti-war protests at Columbia University has been released from an immigration detention center in Texas after more than a year in custody.
Leqaa Kordia left the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado Monday afternoon after a federal judge on Friday granted her a $100,000 bond and ordered her release for the third time since she was detained last March.
"We are overwhelmed with relief and gratitude at the release of our beloved Leqaa Kordia," her cousin Hamzah Abushaban said in a statement.
Kordia was taken into custody last year for allegedly overstaying her visa. She had previously been arrested in 2024 for speaking out against Israel's war in Gaza and was the last of four Columbia University protesters still in detention. Her supporters have said her arrest was in retaliation for her participation in the protests.
"Leqaa should not have spent a single moment in ICE detention, let alone an entire year," Amal Thabateh, staff attorney with the Muslim legal advocacy group CLEAR, said in a statement. "Leqaa, like others, was punished for speaking out in defense of Palestinians, including her own family."
Kordia was born in the West Bank and came to the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2016. She has spent a third of her life in the U.S.
In recent weeks, concerns over Kordia's health and wellbeing had escalated, prompting community activists to allege a lack of access to proper nutrition and health care at the facility. Last month she suffered what her family and attorneys said was the first seizure of her life and spent 72 hours in a nearby hospital.
Friday was Kordia's third bond hearing. She had previously been granted a $20,000 bond, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security filed an appeal, prompting a stay that kept her in custody despite a judge's recommendation she be released while her case was pending.
During Friday's hearing, DHS attorney Stacy Norcross argued "no bond was enough" to guarantee Kordia would show up to court hearings. Immigration Judge Tara Naselow-Nahas said she hoped the government would agree the $100,000 bond was enough and "not turn around and issue an automatic stay."
Kordia's legal team said in a post on social media after her release that she will continue to fight to stay with her family in the U.S.
"While today marks a powerful and emotional milestone, we recognize that this is only the beginning," Abushaban said.
Priscilla Rice is KERA's communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
Copyright 2026 KERA News