Family of Palestinian protester in US hospital seeks his immediate release

Here is a rewritten version of the article in a neutral newsroom style:

Leqaa Kordia Released from Hospital After 12-Hour Detention Update

A family member of Leqaa Kordia confirmed on Tuesday that she has been released from the hospital, where she had been taken after suffering a seizure. The 33-year-old had been detained at an immigration centre in Texas for nearly a year.

Kordia’s cousin, Hamzah Abushaban, stated that his family was informed of her condition only briefly and were left without clear information about her whereabouts or well-being during the 12-hour period she spent in hospital. “Sometimes, silence speaks for itself,” he said.

Abushaban also expressed concern over Kordia’s continued detention, citing the potential health risks associated with it. He stated that his family had been informed of a medical emergency, but not the full details.

Kordia was initially detained in March 2024 following her participation in pro-Palestine demonstrations at Columbia University. She remains the only person targeted in connection with the demonstration who is still being held in immigration detention.

According to Amnesty International, Kordia has been arbitrarily detained for over ten months for exercising her rights to free speech and protest. The organization has called for her immediate release and expressed concerns over the treatment she received during her detention.

Kordia’s lawyers have also alleged that she was wrongly advised about her visa status, leading to her detention. Immigration officials claim that Kordia was detained for overstaying her student visa, not for her pro-Palestine advocacy.

The Department of Homeland Security had initially suggested that Kordia and another protester were targeted for their advocacy in a March 2025 news release. However, the details of Kordia’s case remain unclear.

Kordia arrived in the US in 2016 on a visitor’s visa and later transitioned to a student visa. She applied for permanent residency through her mother, who is a US citizen residing in New Jersey.

Source: Al Jazeera