A federal immigration judge has ordered the release on bond of a Palestinian woman who had been held in a Texas detention facility for over a year, marking the last known pro-Palestinian activist detained under a campaign by the previous U.S. administration to crack down on protests related to Israel's war in Gaza.
Leqaa Kordia, 33, who grew up in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, walked out of the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, on Monday. Her legal team said she was returning to family in New Jersey following the judge's decision.
Immigration officials state Kordia was taken into custody in 2025 for overstaying an expired student visa. Her attorney, however, said she had been in the process of securing legal residence. The U.S. government has said local police arrested her at Columbia University in 2024 during protests in response to Israel's war in Gaza.
Speaking to reporters on Monday with a smile, Kordia said, "I don't know what to say. I am free. .. Finally, after one year." Her release came after sustained calls from multiple rights organizations and some Democratic members of Congress.
Amnesty International has reported that Kordia lost 175 family members during Israel's war in Gaza since late 2023, a detail cited by advocacy groups pressing for her release.
Immigration Judge Tara Naselow-Nahas signed the order for her release on a $100,000 bond on Friday, while making clear that the underlying immigration proceedings will continue. This was Kordia's third bond hearing; two earlier bond orders were automatically stayed by the government. In court, Judge Naselow-Nahas described the government's arguments opposing bond as "disingenuous."
Advocates have raised alarms about Kordia's treatment in detention. She was briefly hospitalized last month after suffering a seizure while in custody, and she has described detention conditions as "filthy" and "inhumane." Those conditions and her health incident were central to calls for her release.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reportedly raised Kordia's case directly with President Donald Trump. The case sits against a backdrop in which the federal administration contended that some pro-Palestinian demonstrations amounted to antisemitism; in that context, the government attempted to deport foreign protesters and threatened to withhold funds from universities that hosted demonstrations.
Protesters, including certain Jewish organizations, have pushed back against that characterization, arguing that criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza and opposition to its occupation of Palestinian territories should not be equated with antisemitism. Rights groups have flagged broader concerns related to free speech, due process, and racial profiling in the government's handling of protests and subsequent enforcement actions.
Context and next steps
Kordia's release on bond does not conclude her legal situation. The immigration case against her remains active and will proceed through the administrative process. Observers and advocates continue to monitor both the legal timeline and detention conditions for other individuals impacted by related enforcement measures.