A second demonstrator involved in anti-Israel protests at Columbia University has been arrested by Homeland Security agents, The New York Post reported Friday. Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian Arab from Judea and Samaria, was initially taken into custody in April 2024 for participating in the protests while overstaying her twice-canceled student visa. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem underscored the importance of visa compliance in a statement to The Post . “It’s a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America,” Noem stated. “When you advocate for violence and terrorism, that privilege should be revoked.” Kordia originally arrived in the US in 2016 on a tourist visa and later obtained a student visa in 2017, according to the report. However, her visa was revoked in 2021 due to lack of attendance, sources said. That same year, she applied for reinstatement and was granted approval. Her arrest marks a continuation of federal authorities’ crackdown on individuals violating visa regulations while engaging in anti-Israel campus demonstrations. It follows the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian Arab activist detained earlier in the week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to his role in anti-Israel protests at Columbia University. Khalil is currently being held in Louisiana after his detention in New York . On Wednesday, a judge ruled that Khalil will remain in detention in Louisiana until at least next week. The Trump administration says that Khalil supports Hamas. Baher Azmy, one of Khalil's attorneys, strongly rejected these allegations, calling the claim "false and preposterous." Related articles: Jewish activists protest for release of Columbia activist Columbia expels, suspends students over anti-Israel protests Hamas supporter facing deportation was British embassy worker 'Arrest of Columbia anti-Israel activist not about free speech' Khalil’s arrest followed the Trump administration’s official announcement that it would revoke $400 million in federal grants due to Columbia’s handling of antisemitism. Columbia has come under increased scrutiny over the rise in antisemitism on campus since the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023. (Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
