‘Human tragedy’: Leqaa Kordia on how ICE jail echoes life in occupied Palestine

Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian immigrant released last month after a year in ICE detention in Texas, told the Guardian she sees parallels between conditions in U.S. immigration custody and the treatment of Palestinians under Israeli occupation. Kordia was detained following her arrest at a Gaza war protest and says she now views it as her responsibility to speak out against what she calls the "human tragedy" of immigration detention in America. Her account comes as ICE detention practices face increased scrutiny from immigrant rights advocates and civil liberties groups. The interview marks Kordia's first print statement since her release and underscores tensions between immigration enforcement and activism around the Israel-Gaza conflict. She plans to continue advocating for Palestinian rights while drawing attention to conditions faced by detainees in the U.S. immigration system.