NEW YORK: U.S. immigration authorities have revealed the detention of a second activist involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations held last spring at Columbia University in New York City.
Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian student from the West Bank, has been arrested in New Jersey, as stated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday. The DHS noted that Kordia had overstayed her student visa, which was terminated in 2022 due to a breach of attendance requirements. The statement, however, did not clarify whether she was attending Columbia University or another educational institution.
This arrest follows the detention of Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was apprehended in New York on Saturday and subsequently transferred to a jail in Louisiana. Another student involved in the same protest activities, Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian national studying Urban Planning at Columbia, opted for “self-deportation” and left the U.S. earlier this week after her visa was revoked on March 5.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized in her statement that holding a visa to study in the U.S. is a privilege that can be revoked for those who advocate for violence and terrorism.
Ranjani Srinivasan’s lawyer, Ramzi Kassem, expressed strong concerns regarding the government’s actions, characterizing them as a violation of fundamental rights for revoking her visa based solely on her engagement in protected political speech.
