Leqaa Kordia, a 33-year-old Palestinian woman detained by ICE in Texas, was hospitalised after fainting and suffering a seizure at the Prairieland Detention Center. Federal officials say she was detained for overstaying an F-1 student visa; her lawyers say she was targeted for participating in pro-Palestinian protests near Columbia University in 2024. Advocates and rights groups have raised alarm about alleged poor detention conditions, denial of halal meals and procedural hurdles that have blocked court-ordered releases.
Who Is Leqaa Kordia? The Columbia Protester Still Held In ICE Custody After Hospitalisation
Pro-Palestinian protesters take over Butler Library on the campus of Columbia University on May 7, 2025 [Ryan Murphy/Reuters]
Leqaa Kordia, a 33-year-old Palestinian woman, has been held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since March and was rushed to hospital after fainting and suffering a seizure at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, according to her family and legal team. Her detention has drawn attention from rights groups, politicians and the press amid wider federal action against pro-Palestinian campus protests.
Background
Kordia grew up in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and first arrived in the United States in 2016 on a visitor visa to stay with her mother, a US citizen, in Paterson, New Jersey. She later changed status to an F-1 student visa and — following her mother’s petition — was approved for a green card in 2021. Her lawyers say incorrect advice from a teacher led to the lapse of her student status in 2022.
Lawyers for Leqaa Kordia, second from right, say she’s been targeted by US immigration enforcement because she participated in pro-Palestinian protests [File: Craig Ruttle/AP Photo]
Why She Was Detained
Federal authorities say Kordia was detained for immigration violations after overstaying an F-1 student visa that was terminated on January 26, 2022. Her legal team and supporters say she was targeted because she participated in pro-Palestinian protests near Columbia University in 2024. Kordia and her lawyers emphasise she was not a Columbia student nor a member of an organised political leadership.
Arrests and Transfer
Kordia was first arrested during a protest outside Columbia University in April 2024; that case was later dropped. On March 13, 2025, she attended what she believed to be routine immigration questioning at ICE headquarters in Newark and was detained. Kordia says she was placed in an unmarked van and flown roughly 1,500 miles to Texas, where she has been held at the Prairieland facility.
Demonstrators march after the arrest of Palestinian student protester Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia University on March 10, 2025 [Jeenah Moon/Reuters]
Health, Treatment And Conditions
Since her transfer to Prairieland, Kordia has described difficult conditions: overcrowding, unsanitary cells, sleeping in a plastic "boat," exposure to cockroaches and limited privacy. Her lawyers and Amnesty International say she has been denied consistent halal meals and other religious accommodations, and that those denials contributed to weight loss and other hardships.
“Inside the ICE facility where I’m being held, conditions are filthy, overcrowded and inhumane,” Kordia wrote in an opinion piece. “For months, I slept in a plastic shell, known as a ‘boat,’ surrounded by cockroaches and only a thin blanket.”
Legal Developments
An immigration judge has ordered Kordia’s release on two occasions, but her release has been repeatedly delayed or blocked by procedural and administrative moves, her lawyers say. The federal government has pointed to evidence such as money transfers to relatives as grounds for further scrutiny; her lawyers argue these claims are being used to justify prolonged detention tied to her protest activities.
People participate in a protest organised by Columbia University students and professors against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and demand that the school establish itself as a sanctuary campus [File: Amr Alfiky/Reuters]
Hospitalisation And Family Concerns
On the reported day of her hospitalisation, family members and attorneys say they were not notified of her exact location or condition. According to a relative quoted by local media, Kordia fell, hit her head and had a seizure in a detention-center bathroom. Her legal team has demanded information from the Department of Homeland Security and the detention center about her medical status and the facility’s plans for her care.
Reactions And Context
Rights groups, some Democratic lawmakers and local officials have called for Kordia’s release and described her as a political prisoner. Amnesty International and other organisations have criticised ICE for alleged violations of her religious rights and inadequate medical and dietary accommodations.
Students protest outside Columbia University on the two-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel and start of Israel’s war on Gaza [File: Ryan Murphy/Reuters]
The case is also set against the backdrop of the 2024 Columbia University protests, which sparked national debate about free speech, campus safety and federal intervention. Those demonstrations led to arrests, severe university sanctions for some participants and a high-profile dispute between Columbia and the federal government that ended in a multi-year settlement.
What Comes Next
Kordia’s lawyers continue to press for her release and for full medical information and access. The case may proceed through additional immigration and federal court proceedings as legal teams challenge the procedural barriers that have kept her detained despite prior release orders.
Note on Reporting: Casualty and related figures cited in coverage of the Gaza conflict are drawn from international estimates and media reports and are attributed in the original reporting to human rights organisations, a United Nations commission, and other sources.
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