U.S. immigration officials have arrested a second individual involved in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University and revoked the visa of another student, the Department of Homeland Security announced Friday.
Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian from the West Bank, was arrested for overstaying her student visa, according to the Associated Press. The Department of Homeland Security stated that Kordia’s visa was terminated in January 2022 due to “lack of attendance.”
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Kordia was previously arrested for her participation in protests at Columbia in April 2024.
Additionally, the Trump administration revoked the visa of Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian citizen and doctoral student, on March 5th, citing her “advocating for violence and terrorism.” Srinivasan chose to “self-deport” on Tuesday.
These actions follow the recent arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and prominent figure in student protests at Columbia, who is now facing deportation.
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Khalil’s lawyers have filed an updated lawsuit seeking his immediate release, alleging that he was moved from New York to Louisiana last weekend in a manner that felt like a “kidnapping.”
The lawyers detailed Khalil’s treatment, claiming that he was flown to Louisiana by agents who did not identify themselves and was left to sleep in a bunker without a pillow or blanket. They argue that Khalil became a “public face” of student protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The filing, made late Thursday in Manhattan federal court, came after a federal judge ordered that Khalil’s lawyers be allowed to speak with him.
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