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ICE detainee in North Texas granted bond
A woman who has been detained by ICE in North Texas since last March has been granted bond for the third time. FOX 4's Alex Boyer has more on how DHS could intervene.
DALLAS - For the third time, a woman being held at a North Texas ICE facility has received bond from an immigration judge, but her supporters fear the Department of Homeland Security could intervene to keep her detained.
Leqaa Kordia granted bond
What we know:
On Friday, March 13, Leqaa Kordia was granted bond by an immigration judge. Her bond was set at $100,000.
It's the third time Kordia has been granted bond since being detained. The previous two times, the Department of Homeland Security invoked an "automatic stay," a rarely used legal provision.
She believes she is the victim of retaliation for participating in a protest against the Israeli war in Gaza at Columbia University.
Kordia's statement
What they're saying:
Kordia released the following statement through her legal team on Friday:
"To see so many people during the hearing today made me feel loved and supported, and it made me confident that freedom is near. All I want is for the government to finally release me now so I can go home to my family. Until then, I’ll continue speaking up for the basic rights and freedom of all people, from Texas to Palestine."
FOX 4's Alex Boyer talked to Justin Mazzola of Amnesty International USA about Kordia's detainment. Mazzola worries the DHS will get involved again in this case to make a statement.
"If you understand, you know how the immigration courts and system are set up, and they're fully within the executive, the purview of the executive side of the government," Mazzola told Boyer. "And so, there really is no counterbalance to government overreach when it comes to cases such as this."
Backstory on Leqaa Kordia's detainment
The backstory:
33-year-old Leqaa Kordia was detained in March 2025 in New Jersey after she voluntarily met with immigration authorities about her immigration status. She claims to have mistakenly surrendered her valid student visa as she tried to pursue permanent residency in the United States.
Supporters demand the release of Palestinian woman held in ICE detention in North Texas
Supporters are demanding the release of Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman detained at a North Texas ICE facility for 10 months following a Columbia University protest.
She’s been held at the Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado since March 2025, even though her legal team claims all protest-related charges have been dropped and an immigration judge has previously granted her bond.
Kordia's supporters say she collapsed after suffering a seizure while in ICE custody last month, and that her condition has worsened during Ramadan.
Her supporters previously held rallies on March 5 and Jan. 30 to demand Kordia's immediate release.
The Source: Information in this story came from an interview with Amnesty International USA and previous FOX 4 reporting.