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Leqaa Kordia, detained over Columbia Gaza protests, released from ICE custody
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Mar 16, 2026
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Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Mar 16, 2026
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Leqaa Kordia, who spent more than a year in ICE custody after she was arrested at a Columbia University protest over the war in Gaza, is returning to her family in New Jersey.
Her legal team announced Monday that an immigration judge granted her release as her case continues.
Kordia had been one of more than a hundred protesters arrested at a demonstration at Columbia University amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East in 2024. The charges against her were later dismissed.
She was detained by immigration authorities in March 2025 during a meeting with immigration officers in New Jersey. Members of her legal team have described the detention as retaliatory.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
An immigration judge ordered her release from the Prairieland Detention Facility in Texas for the third time on Friday, setting bond at $100,000.
Kordia’s detention had been described as “retaliatory and arbitrary” by Sadaf Hasan, a staff attorney at Muslim Advocates.
“It’s outrageous that it took the government this long to comply with an immigration judge’s repeated orders to release her. Leqaa should never have had to fight this hard for her freedom,” Hasan said in a statement Monday.
Kordia’s legal team said she was hospitalized for three days after suffering a seizure while in custody. They said her arms and legs were chained to a hospital bed and that she experienced fainting episodes while detained.
“This past year has taken an unimaginable toll on Leqaa and our entire family," said Kordia’s cousin, Hamzah Abushaban. "We are grateful to our community that stood beside us every step of the way, and for the countless prayers offered during this past Ramadan — those moments of sincerity and hope carried us through some of our darkest days."
Kordia was one of several people with pending immigration cases that Mayor Zohran Mamdani discussed with President Donald Trump last month.
"In my meeting with President Trump last month, we discussed ICE’s actions at Columbia University," Mamdani said in a statement. "I asked that the federal government release Leqaa Kordia and drop the cases against four others."
U.S. Rep. Nellie Pou of New Jersey, who represents Paterson, where Kordia lived before her detention, also welcomed her release.
“Today is a great day for justice,” Pou said in a statement. "My thoughts are with Leqaa, who has suffered a tremendous injustice at the hands of this administration."
While some individuals, including Columbia student Ellie Aghayeva, have been released, others remain in ICE custody.
Tagged
Politics
education
new jersey
new york city
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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