Federal immigration officers arrested a second person who participated in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on March 14.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested Leqaa Kordia, who hails from the West Bank, for overstaying an expired student visa, DHS said.
Kordia’s visa was terminated in 2022 for lack of attendance, the agency said. Officials said Kordia took part in protests against Israel that took place in 2024 at Columbia University in New York City.
Kordia could not be reached. It is not clear whether she has retained a lawyer.
ICE officers earlier in the month took into custody Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian native who holds a green card, after he helped lead the protests. Authorities said the protests were “aligned to Hamas,” a terrorist group that attacked Israel in October 2023….