Leqaa Kordia, a 33-year-old Palestinian woman, has been detained in the United States by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency since March 2025.
Kordia is being held in Texas after being detained as part of US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestine protests on college campuses across the country.
Sadaf Hasan, a staff attorney at rights group Muslim Advocates, says authorities are using “extraordinary lengths” and “procedural legal loopholes” to ensure Kordia remains detained.
“It’s clear that she’s in confinement because the administration dislikes her views on Palestine, but also because she is Palestinian,” Hasan told Al Jazeera.
She argues that Kordia’s continued detention, despite repeated judicial findings in her favour, is intended to send a “chilling message” about the costs of protesting for Palestine in the US and to “squash free speech and organising on Palestine”.
“Why she’s still confined nearly a year later is to send a message. It’s political. It’s intentional,” Hasan added.
