U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested another individual linked to the anti-Israel protests that occurred at Columbia University. This latest arrest highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to target individuals involved in demonstrations that violate legal boundaries and advocate for violence. ICE officials have emphasized their commitment to upholding the law and ensuring that those who engage in violent or disruptive actions face appropriate consequences, particularly those who are in the United States illegally.
Leqaa Korda was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for overstaying her “expired” student visa, which was terminated on January 26, 2022, for “lack of attendance.” However, Columbia University has no record of the individual being registered as a current or former student at the school. According to the Department of Homeland Security, she was also allegedly arrested in 2024 for her involvement in the protests.
“Just last night, we worked with the Department of Homeland Security to execute search warrants from an investigation into Columbia University for harboring and concealing illegal aliens on its campus," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said. "That investigation is ongoing, and we are also looking at whether Columbia's handling of earlier incidents violated civil rights laws and included terrorism crimes. This is long overdue.”
According to the DHS, Korda is a Palestinian from the West Bank.
This comes after Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate, is currently in ICE custody for also participating in the campus protests.
Khalil was transported from New York to Louisiana last weekend. His legal team argued that Khalil felt as if he had been kidnapped, prompting his lawyers to demand his immediate release. The Palestinian activist attorneys claimed he was forced to sleep in a bunker without a pillow or blanket. They also contend that Khalil had become the "public face" of student protests at Columbia University against Israel's military actions in Gaza.
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Khalil was "the first arrest of many to come.”
The president has vowed to deport students who have engaged in "pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity."