NEW YORK — Growing up in the West Bank, Leqaa Kordia experienced the dislocation of familial bonds as Israeli restrictions severed connections with her relatives in Gaza. Infamous phone calls from the beach—where her aunts and uncles invited her to share laughter from afar—remain haunting memories now overshadowed by tragedy. Many of those family members have perished in recent hostilities that have ravaged the Gaza Strip.

Over 200 days imprisoned in a Texas immigration detention center, Kordia reflects on her sense of despair, stating, “Most days I feel helpless. I want to do something, but I can’t from here. I can’t do anything.”

A resident of New Jersey since 2016, the 32-year-old Kordia was among the first arrested under the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests. While many prisoners have since been released, Kordia remains behind bars—largely overlooked by the public and mischaracterized by authorities. Her narrative diverges significantly from other activists who amassed communities of support.

Recently speaking out for the first time since her detainment, Kordia underscored her unprecedented ties to Gaza, where more than 170 relatives have died amid violence. Yet, these connections are branded suspect by authorities; Kordia’s financial assistance to her family is portrayed as evidence of affiliations with terrorist elements.

Despite a federal judge calling out the unlawful targeting of protesters, Kordia languishes in a protracted legal quagmire, as a Hunger for justice amplifies her cause. Her attorney lamented, “The government has tried again and again to muster some kind of justification to hold this young woman in custody indefinitely.”

With a past shadowed by separation and loss, Kordia optimistically recalls her dreams: to return to her family, foster connections, and eventually open a café showcasing Palestinian cultural heritage. “That’s literally all that I want— to live with my family in peace in a land that appreciates freedom,” she expressed fondly, daring to hope for a brighter, more unified future.