In brief
Leqaa Kordia, a 33-year-old Palestinian woman, has been released from immigration detention after spending a year in custody following her arrest during protests at Columbia University. The Department of Homeland Security had alleged she overstayed her visa and engaged in suspicious financial transactions. An immigration judge found sufficient evidence for her release, amidst claims that her detention was politically motivated due to her activism.
A Palestinian woman who was detained during Gaza war protests at Columbia University has been released after a year in immigration detention in Texas, her lawyers say.
Leqaa Kordia, 33, was among more than 100 demonstrators arrested outside the New York City college's campus in April 2024, but she was released.
She was arrested again in March 2025 during a routine immigration check-in. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said she had overstayed her student visa, which was terminated in 2022 for lack of attendance.
Federal officials also launched an investigation into funds she sent overseas, which she said was for her family. She has not been charged with a crime.
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 centre near Dallas on Monday.
DHS has alleged Kordia provided financial support to individuals living in nations hostile to the US. Her cousin told the BBC's US partner CBS that she had sent money to relatives overseas.
An immigration judge found overwhelming evidence that Kordia was truthful about the funds. At her third bail hearing a judge described the government's arguments against her release as disingenuous and ordered her released on $100,000 bail.
A DHS spokesperson said in a statement that Kordia is still in the country illegally for violating the terms of her visa, highlighting the ongoing debates over immigration policies.
Kordia has alleged that while in detention, she was subjected to inhumane conditions, including chaining to a bed during a hospital seizure episode.
Kordia's case continues as she is now able to return to her home in New Jersey. Her advocacy for Palestinian rights has garnered significant support, with communities rallying behind her during her detention.
