Leqaa Kordia: A Palestinian Woman's Jailed Struggle for Asylum Amid US Border Dispute

Strategic Insights -

Leqaa Kordia, a 32-year-old Palestinian, has been held in ICE custody in Texas since March 2025, after her detention followed participation in protests advocating for Palestinian rights, including one outside Columbia University in April 2024. Born in Jerusalem and raised in Ramallah, Kordia moved to the United States in 2016 to reunite with her mother in Paterson, New Jersey. Despite her family-based permanent residency petition being approved in 2021, immigration authorities contend she became undocumented after ending her student visa. Kordia's lawyers argue that she had lawful status, and her detention is part of a broader US effort to suppress immigrant protests and dissent.

Key Takeaways:

  • Leqaa Kordia, a 32-year-old Palestinian, has been held in ICE custody in Texas since March 2025, for allegedly sending money to relatives in Gaza, which authorities deem as material support for Hamas.
  • Kordia, born in Jerusalem and raised in Ramallah, entered the US in 2016 on a visitor visa and later enrolled in an English-language programme on an F-1 student visa but withdrew and remained in the country.
  • Despite her family-based permanent residency petition being approved in 2021, immigration authorities contend she became undocumented after ending her student visa.
  • Kordia denies involvement in terrorism, stating the money sent to relatives was for basic needs and recovery from conflict-related damage.
  • Two federal judges have ordered Kordia's release on bond, but government appeals have kept her in custody.
  • Kordia's lawyers argue that her case remains subject to ongoing appeals and additional asylum proceedings.
  • Kordia spends her days in detention reading, praying, writing in a journal, and interacting with other detainees, facing restricted access to meals and accommodations for religious practices.
  • Her case, which has received limited media coverage, is indicative of the broader challenges faced by noncitizens involved in high-profile political protests.
  • Kordia remains in federal custody while her appeals and asylum petition proceed.

Statistics:

  • Over 175 relatives of Leqaa Kordia have been lost in Gaza since October 2023, according to her legal filings.
  • Kordia has spent over 6 months in ICE custody in Texas.
  • The estimated value of money sent by Kordia to relatives in Gaza is approximately $16,900 over eight years.
  • There have been 2 federal judges who have ordered Kordia's release on bond.
  • Her family-based permanent residency petition was approved in 2021.

Sources:

  • timesofisrael.com, Kordia, a 32-year-old Palestinian, has been held in ICE custody in Texas since March 2025, after her detention followed participation in protests advocating for Palestinian rights, including one outside Columbia University in April 2024.
  • court documents, cited by lawyers, show that Kordia was transferred to the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas, where she was reportedly assigned a mattress on the floor and received limited religious accommodations.
  • Kordia's family-based permanent residency petition was approved in 2021, immigration authorities contend she became undocumented after ending her student visa.