A Palestinian woman involved in last year’s anti-war protests at Columbia University was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Newark, New Jersey, and is being detained in North Texas.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a news release Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian from the West Bank, was arrested for overstaying her expired F-1 student visa, which ended on Jan. 26, 2022, “for lack of attendance.”
According to the ICE detainee portal, Kordia is being held at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, about 40 minutes southwest of Dallas. It is unclear why Kordia is being detained in North Texas. KERA reached out to ICE but has not received a response.
Kordia was among the students arrested at Columbia University last year after protesting the war in Gaza.
Her detention comes after another Columbia student activist, Mahmoud Khalil, was arrested by ICE earlier this month.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a petition and complaint with a federal court in New York, challenging his arrest. In a statement the ACLU said the Trump administration “illegally arrested and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, in direct retaliation for his advocacy in support of Palestinian rights.”
President Donald Trump has threatened to deport protestors who are foreign students and cut federal funding to universities who allow “illegal protests” on campuses.
In a statement Friday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said it was a “privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America.”
“When you advocate for violence and terrorism that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country,” Noem said.
Dallas immigration attorney Denise Rosales, who is not involved in Kordia's case, said it's unusual to see people detained for overstaying a student visa.
"All of this is unprecedented," she said. "I mean, we're all just in shock as to what's going on right now."
She said Kordia's arrest also has implications for free speech rights under the First Amendment.
"I think Trump is pushing the limits,” she said, “and it'll be up to courts to decide just how far he can go with this.”
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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