DHS Blocks Release of Palestinian Activist Leqaa Kordia Twice, Despite Judicial Orders

Palestinian activist Leqaa Kordia remains in U.S. immigration detention in Texas, despite immigration judges twice ordering her release on bond. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has invoked an automatic stay provision on both occasions, preventing her release and prompting her legal team to file an emergency motion in federal court. Kordia, who entered the U.S. in 2016, has been confined since March 14, 2025, at the Prairieland Detention Facility.Kordia, a Palestinian from the West Bank, was arrested by ICE HSI Newark officers for overstaying her F-1 student visa, which was terminated in January 2022 due to "lack of attendance," according to DHS. She had also been previously arrested in April 2024 for her involvement in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University. Her advocates assert that her detention is a punitive measure for her activism.On two separate occasions, immigration judges ordered Kordia's release on a $20,000 bond. However, DHS immediately reinvoked an automatic stay, which can prolong confinement for up to four months, without providing evidence to justify continued detention. Federal Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford has previously questioned the constitutionality of this automatic stay provision, noting a lack of procedural safeguards.Legal organizations including the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP), Muslim Advocates, the CLEAR Project, and Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel have filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order. Sadaf Hasan, a staff attorney with Muslim Advocates, stated, "To try to silence Leqaa and the broader movement for Palestinian lives, the administration has been weaponizing immigration confinement and procedural maneuvers." Kordia's family in Gaza has reportedly lost nearly 200 members, intensifying her advocacy.Amal Thabateh, a staff attorney with CLEAR, emphasized that "this is a targeted attack—not just on Leqaa, but on all those who dare to speak out for Palestinian liberation." The ongoing legal battle seeks to reunite Kordia with her family in New Jersey and challenges the government's actions as an infringement on free speech and due process rights.