Palestinian Protester Blames 'Inhumane' Texas Jail Conditions for Seizure
A Palestinian woman detained for nearly a year in a Texas immigration jail has stated that "inhumane" conditions at the facility have severely harmed her health, potentially contributing to a seizure she experienced last week. Leqaa Kordia, 33, was hospitalized for three days following the incident, which she described as the first seizure of her life.
Details of the Incident and Detention Conditions
Kordia reported that she suffered the seizure after fainting and hitting her head at the Prairieland Detention Facility, where she has been held since March. In a statement released through her lawyers, she linked the episode to what she called "filthy" and "inhumane" conditions inside the privately run detention center.
"For three days in the emergency room, my hands and legs were weighed down by heavy chains as they drew my blood and gave me medications," Kordia said. "I felt like an animal. My hands are still full of marks from the heavy metal." She added that she was shackled throughout her hospitalization and prevented from contacting family or meeting with her legal representatives.
Health Concerns and Allegations of Neglect
According to Kordia, her doctors suggested that the seizure might have resulted from poor sleep, inadequate nutrition, and extreme stress. Her lawyers had previously warned that Kordia, a devout Muslim, had lost 49 pounds (22 kilograms) and fainted in the shower, partly because the jail denied her meals that comply with religious dietary requirements.
"I've been here for 11 months, and the food is so bad it makes me sick," Kordia's statement continued. "At Prairieland, your daily life — whether you can have access to the food or medicine you need or even a good night's sleep — is controlled by the private, for-profit business that runs this facility."
Government Response and Legal Background
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press but stated to The New York Times that Kordia was not being mistreated and was receiving proper medical care. Kordia, a resident of New Jersey who grew up in the West Bank, was among approximately 100 people arrested outside Columbia University during protests in 2024.
The charges against her were dismissed and sealed. However, information about her arrest was later provided to the Trump administration by the New York City police department, which claimed the records were needed for a money laundering investigation. Last year, Kordia became one of the first pro-Palestinian protesters arrested in the Trump administration's crackdown on noncitizens who had criticized Israel's military actions in Gaza. She remains the only individual from that group still jailed.
Legal Challenges and Immigration Status
Kordia has not been accused of a crime and has twice been ordered released on bond by an immigration judge. The government has challenged both rulings, an unusual step in cases not involving serious crimes, which triggers a lengthy appeals process. She was taken into custody during a March 13 check-in with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, with federal officials highlighting her arrest as part of a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activists.
Federal authorities have accused Kordia of overstaying her visa and scrutinized payments she sent to relatives in the Middle East. Kordia explained that the money was intended to help family members whose homes were destroyed in the war or who were otherwise suffering. An immigration judge later found "overwhelming evidence" that Kordia was truthful about these payments.
Attorneys for Kordia noted that she was previously in the U.S. on a student visa but mistakenly surrendered that status after applying to remain in the country as the relative of a U.S. citizen. In her statement, Kordia asserted that the detention facility was "built to break people and destroy their health and hope," adding, "The best medicine for me and everyone else here is our freedom."
