A former Columbia University protester is out of federal immigration custody in Texas after spending more than a year detained without criminal charges. Immigration Judge Tara Naselow-Nahas on Friday ordered the release of 33-year-old Palestinian Leqaa Kordia on $100,000 bond—her third such order for Kordia's release—after finding "very little evidence" she was a flight risk. Previous releases had been blocked by government attorneys invoking an "automatic stay," a rarely used tool that kept Kordia locked up during appeals, reports the New York Times. This time, the government did not appeal, and Kordia walked free Monday. "I don't know what to say. I'm free! I'm free! Finally, after one year," she said upon leaving the detention center, per the BBC.
Kordia, who overstayed a student visa and worked as a server in New Jersey, was initially arrested during pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia in April 2024; that case was quickly dismissed and sealed. Federal authorities later opened an investigation, scrutinizing $1,000 she sent to relatives in Gaza and alleging possible money laundering and "pro-Hamas" activity—claims her lawyers said were unsupported. Her family and attorneys say her health deteriorated in ICE custody, where she suffered seizures and was once chained to a hospital bed. New York State Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani had personally urged President Trump to secure her release, calling her detention punishment "for speaking up for Palestinian rights."
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
