NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A second student who took part in protests around Columbia University last year was arrested by federal immigration agents this week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Friday, as a Palestinian activist and recent grad from the school remained in immigration detention in Louisiana following his arrest last weekend.
Leqaa Kordia was arrested by officers from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Newark. A Palestinian from West Bank, Kordia was arrested for overstaying her expired F-1 visa, authorities said.
Kordia’s visa terminated on Jan. 26, 2022, for “lack of attendance,” according to a DHS press release.
The Trump administration also revoked the visa of Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian citizen and doctoral student at Columbia, on March 5, and she opted to “self-deport” via the CBP Home App. Officials said she was "involved in activities supporting Hamas" but didn't elaborate.
Both Kordia and Srinivasan were arrested last April as pro-Palestinian protests rocked the area around the Columbia campus and spread across the U.S.
Reacting to the arrest of Kordia, a Columbia spokesperson said, "Columbia has no record of this individual being registered as a current or former student at the University."
Sources told 1010 WINS that she was arrested on the public streets outside of Columbia last April but was not a part of campus activities and wasn't a student at the school.
In a statement on Friday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said it’s a “privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America.”
“When you advocate for violence and terrorism that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country,” Noem said, posting video that appeared to show Srinivasan leaving the U.S.
The announcement comes after the recent arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist who helped lead student protests at the school and is facing deportation. His arrest has sparked protests all week, including Thursday at Trump Tower, where roughly 100 people were arrested. Additional demonstrations were happening Friday in Manhattan.
Meanwhile, Columbia’s interim president said late Thursday that federal agents from DHS had searched two residences on campus but had made no arrests.
The Trump administration has vowed a crackdown on universities, saying pro-Palestinian activity has crossed into antisemitism and threatened the security of Jewish students.