Jailed By ICE For A Year Against Judges' Orders, NJ's Leqaa Kordia Speaks Out

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — After a year of sleeping on concrete floors and being denied religious accommodations, Paterson resident Leqaa Kordia has returned to New Jersey from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Texas.

Kordia’s homecoming comes months after three judges had ordered her release; however, ICE invoked automatic stays, forcing her to remain at the facility.

Read More: NJ Woman Held By ICE For A Year, Despite Judges’ Release Orders

It wasn’t until March 16 that Kordia was finally released.

During a heart-warming ceremony in Paterson on Sunday, community leaders came together to welcome the 33-year-old Palestinian back home.

“For over a year, this poor woman was treated unfairly,” said Mayor Andre Sayegh. “But today, we treat you the way you should be treated: As a daughter of Paterson.”

Joining the mayor in welcoming Kordia back were community cultural leaders, politicians, her legal team, and her family.

Leqaa and advocates for her release spoke of justice, determination, and civil rights. Kordia’s cousin Hamzah Abushaban, a catalyst of her release, introduced her while fighting tears.

Kordia first expressed immense gratitude for everyone who supported her during this time in her life. She added that she received so many letters from supporters that she had to put them in a suitcase when leaving Texas.

“It’s been a long year, and a tough year,” Kordia said. “Today I stand here feeling blessed and grateful… But sad that I left behind many beautiful, courageous, innocent women… All their crime was just ‘being.’ They dreamt of a better future for their families.”

Kordia added that the conditions of the Prairieland Detention Center were “horrible,” saying that there are no words to describe them. She said it would take hours to speak on just a few of the horrible conditions.

Some of the conditions mentioned by release advocates included overcrowding, sleeping on concrete, insects, and a lack of nutritious food. Kordia said she and fellow detainees called their meals "dog food."

Yet, she said she felt ashamed to complain about her situation, knowing that “thousands of Palestinians are being tortured, starved, humiliated, accused in these prisons every single day.”

Kordia says she first appeared on the Department of Homeland Security’s radar after she was arrested during a Free Palestine rally outside Columbia University in New York City in 2024. All charges were dropped with regard to the incident.

Due to a mix-up with her student visa later, Kordia unknowingly lost her legal immigration status and was soon arrested by ICE.

“One of the most difficult things when I was in detention was that I couldn’t do more for my people in Palestine,” Kordia said. “Their resilience and courage… Everything they endured helped keep me strong and dedicated to fighting for my own freedom. Now that I’m out, I promise to make up for all the lost time.

“I won’t be free until all of you are free,” she added.

Kordia’s legal counsel says that her release is only the first step for her true freedom, as she is still in removal proceedings. She and her team will continue to fight to keep her in the United States with her U.S. citizen mother.

“The facts of this case have not changed: Leqaa Kordia is in the country illegally after violating the terms of her visa," a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said after her release.

Watch Sunday's entire press conference online here.

Previous coverage:

• NJ Woman Held By ICE For A Year, Despite Judges’ Release Orders
• Held By ICE, NJ Woman Sleeps On Concrete Floor As Lawmakers Demand Her Release
• NJ Woman Released From ICE Detention After A Year