Palestinian Woman in Immigration Jail Experiences Health Crisis Amid Inhumane Conditions

Fri Feb 13 2026 05:21:47 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman detained for attending a protest, describes severe health issues due to abusive treatment in immigration detention.

Leqaa Kordia, held in Prairieland Detention Facility for nearly a year after protesting in New York, suffered a seizure linked to poor conditions and lack of proper medical care. Despite a judge ordering her release, Kordia remains in custody while the government argues against her release.

A Palestinian woman who has been held in an immigration jail for nearly a year after attending a protest in New York City said she suffered a seizure after fainting and hitting her head last week. She attributes the episode to the filthy and inhumane conditions inside the privately-run facility.

Leqaa Kordia, 33, was hospitalized for three days, reportedly shackled throughout her stay and unable to contact her family or lawyers. For three days in the emergency room, my hands and legs were weighed down by heavy chains […] Kordia remarked.

Her doctors indicated that the seizure might have resulted from poor sleep, inadequate nutrition, and stress. Kordia has lost significant weight, claiming the jail has denied her meals adhering to her religious dietary requirements.

In her statement, she shared, I’ve been here for 11 months, and the food is so bad it makes me sick. At Prairieland, your access to food, medicine, and good sleep is controlled by the private, for-profit business that runs this facility. Kordia, who hails from New Jersey after growing up in the West Bank, was among approximately 100 individuals arrested during protests at Columbia University in 2024.

The charges against her were ultimately dismissed, yet her detention continues, with the U.S. government challenging an immigration judge's orders for her release.

Kordia had been detained since March during a routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a move federal officials framed as part of a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism on campus. While she was never charged with a crime, federal authorities have scrutinized her financial transactions to family members in the Middle East, alleging she overstayed her visa.

In the context of her family ties to Gaza and recent escalation in violence, Kordia expressed, My way of helping my family and my people was to go to the streets. She emphasized that the best remedy for those in detention is their freedom, describing the facility as designed to break people and destroy their health and hope.