"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. Her detention had been described as retaliatory and arbitrary by Sadaf Hasan, a staff attorney at Muslim Advocates."
"This past year has taken an unimaginable toll on Leqaa and our entire family. 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'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."
Leqaa Kordia, arrested during a Columbia University protest over the Gaza conflict in 2024, spent more than a year in ICE custody despite having her protest-related charges dismissed. She was detained by immigration authorities in March 2025 during a routine meeting in New Jersey, which her legal team characterized as retaliatory. An immigration judge ordered her release from a Texas detention facility on Friday, setting bond at $100,000. During her detention, Kordia suffered a seizure requiring hospitalization and experienced physical restraints and fainting episodes. Her legal representatives and family emphasized the ordeal's severe toll and expressed gratitude for community support throughout her case.
Read at Gothamist
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