Leqaa Kordia, a 33 year old Palestinian woman from the West Bank, was released after spending a year in immigration detention following the Trump administration's crackdown on pro Palestinian activists. She had been held at a detention center in Texas since March 2025 after being arrested during a check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Kordia was among about 100 people arrested outside Columbia University during protests in 2024.

An immigration judge ordered her release on bond three times, with the government challenging the first two decisions but not the third. During her detention, Kordia was hospitalized after suffering a seizure and her lawyers argued that her neurological condition had worsened in custody. The judge said there was overwhelming evidence supporting her account and little evidence presented by the government.

Federal officials accused Kordia of overstaying her visa and scrutinized money transfers she sent to relatives in the Middle East, though an immigration judge found her explanations credible. Her protest related charges were dismissed and sealed. Unlike some student activists whose arrests drew national attention, Kordia's case remained largely out of the public eye until her release.