A Year in the Shadows: The Release of a Colombian Protester
On a Monday afternoon in Texas, a group of Leqaa Kordia’s supporters and several reporters gathered outside a detention center that holds people who are not allowed to stay in the United States. When the doors finally opened, Leqaa Kordia came out. She looked very tired. She was not afraid. Leqaa Kordia, a 33-year-old Palestinian woman, had been kept in this place for exactly one year. Not because she did something bad, but because of problems with her papers to be in the United States.
“I am free. I am free. Finally, after one year, ” Leqaa Kordia shouted. Her voice was shaking because she was so happy to be
Leqaa Kordia’s story is important because it shows what happens when rules for non-U.S. residents conflict with the right to free speech. Authorities released her after she paid $100,000 to secure her release. This is the end of a long fight with the law. For many people, this is just the start of a bigger conversation about how the United States treats students who are not from here and who say what they think.
From Campus Lawns to Detention Cells
The problems for Leqaa Kordia started in April 2024 when there were a lot of protests about the war in Gaza on college campuses in the United States. Leqaa Kordia’s story is very important because it shows what happens when rules for people who are not from the United States conflict with the right to free speech. Authorities released her after she paid $100,000 to secure her freedom.
In March 2025, Leqaa Kordia went to a meeting about her documents, where officials detained her. Authorities claimed she violated her visa rules. They said she stayed in the United States after her visa expired in 2022 because she stopped attending school. However, Leqaa Kordia’s lawyers and supporters reject this claim. They believe authorities arrested her because she spoke out for rights.
The government also looked into the money Leqaa Kordia sent to her family in the West Bank. They said she was sending money to people in countries that are not friends with the United States.. Leqaa Kordia said the money was just to help her family.
The Legal Battle and “Disingenuous” Arguments
Things changed for Leqaa Kordia during her meeting to try to get out of the detention center. The judge began to question the government’s claims. After reviewing the evidence about the money Leqaa Kordia sent, the judge said there was strong proof supporting her statements. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s arguments.
The judge did not like the government’s arguments. Said they were not honest. This is a concern for people who care about civil rights: that the rules for people who are not from the United States are being used to stop them from saying what they think. Even though the government said Leqaa Kordia was in the country illegally, the judge said she could leave the detention center if she paid $100,000.
The Human Cost of Policy
When people talk about the rules for visas, they often forget about how it affects the people. Leqaa Kordia was very sick when she was in the detention center in Texas. The month she was in the hospital for three days because she had a seizure. Her family said she fainted several times.
Leqaa Kordia said she was treated badly. She said she was chained to a hospital bed when she was sick. She said the detention center was dirty and not a good place for people to be. This is what many people have said about the detention center in Texas.
For Leqaa Kordias family, this has been a hard time. Her cousin, Hamzah Abushaban, said it has been very difficult for them. He said the support from the community during Ramadan helped them get through the times.
A Precedent for Student Activists?
Leqaa Kordias story is not the one. Another student, Mahmoud Khalil, was also arrested. This happened during a time when the government was cracking down on students who were not from the United States and who were protesting.
The government says that Leqaa Kordia broke the rules of her visa. They say they are just following the law. Some people, like Sarah Sherman-Stokes from the Boston University School of Law, say that Leqaa Kordia was targeted because she spoke out. If students who are not from the United States can get in trouble for saying what they think, then it might stop them from speaking out.
Now Leqaa Kordia is back in New Jersey. She is still unsure about what will happen to her next. Although she is free for now, authorities may still send her back to the West Bank. Her story shows what can happen to students when the government starts to get involved in what they say and do. Read More
