Palestinian Activist Leqaa Kordia Freed After Year in ICE Detention

Leqaa Kordia, a 33-year-old Palestinian activist from New Jersey, was released on bond from U.S. Immigration custody on March 16, 2026. Kordia had been held for approximately one year at the Prairieland detention center in Alvarado, Texas, after being detained during a routine check-in at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office.

Kordia, who was born in the occupied West Bank, was released on a $100,000 bond. Her release follows a period of prolonged detention despite three separate rulings by a judge stating that she posed no threat and could be released on bond.

Background of Detention

The events leading to Kordia’s detention began in April 2024, when she was arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest outside Columbia University. Kordia stated she participated in the protest to defend her rights and those of her family, noting that more than 200 members of her extended family were killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza. While the charges related to the April 2024 protest were dropped the following day, she was later taken into custody in March 2025.

Kordia reported that her arrest occurred during a scheduled meeting with her lawyer and ICE agents at an office in New Jersey. She stated that she was transported in an unmarked car to an airport and taken to Texas, despite her lawyer being informed she would be sent to upstate New York.

Conditions at Prairieland Detention Center

During her year in custody, Kordia described the conditions at the Prairieland Detention Center as a human tragedy. She reported experiencing overcrowding in the dorms, inedible food, broken facilities, and negligence from guards. Kordia also cited a lack of adequate medical care, noting that she had been chained to a hospital bed following a seizure while inside the facility.

Kordia told The Guardian that the methods used by ICE agents and the conditions of the detention center reminded her of her experiences in the West Bank, stating that she saw a lot of similarities between the treatment of people in ICE custody and Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.

Since her detention over one year ago, the government has taken every effort to deny her basic rights and freedom, blocking her release not once but twice.

Travis Fife, staff attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project

Advocacy and Aftermath

Following her release, Kordia stated that she intends to continue advocating for Palestinian rights and now feels a duty to denounce the conditions of immigration detention in the United States. She expressed a desire to advocate for the women she left behind in the overcrowded dorms at Prairieland.

Hamzah Abushaban, Kordia’s cousin, described the toll the year of detention took on Kordia and her family, expressing gratitude to the community and supporters who provided prayers and support during her incarceration.