The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomes the Paterson City Council’s unanimous vote to pass Resolution 25:605, which urges the immediate release of Leqaa Kordia from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
READ: Calls for release grow as N.J. Palestinian immigrant remains detained by ICE after 9 months
SEE RESOLUTION: Calling for the immediate release of Leqaa Kordia from ICE custody
The Paterson City Council passed the resolution Tuesday night during its regular meeting, which was livestreamed on YouTube. The measure also urges the Department of Homeland Security to end retaliatory detention practices that infringe upon First Amendment rights.
In a statement, CAIR-New Jersey said:
“The detention of Leqaa Kordia is a clear violation of her rights to freedom of speech and political activism. Her prolonged confinement and the inhumane conditions she faces are a direct attempt to suppress lawful dissent.
“This resolution is a powerful statement of solidarity from the city of Paterson, urging for her immediate release and reaffirming our commitment to justice and human rights for all. It also reflects the strength of our community’s engagement and advocacy, as hundreds of local residents voiced their support and demanded action on her behalf.”
Paterson City Council members noted they received hundreds of emails from community members expressing urgency for her release from the Prairieland Detention Facility in Texas, where she is forced to endure inhumane conditions.
Kordia, a 32-year-old Paterson resident, is currently the last protester detained following demonstrations at Columbia University, where many called for an end to the US-aided genocide in Gaza. Kordia has lost nearly 200 family members in Israel’s attacks on Gaza and beyond. As for Kordia herself, she is currently confined in a small, dark cell with no windows where she’s accompanied by dozens of other detainees, snakes and spiders.
ICE’s actions in this case reflect a broader trend of using immigration detention to suppress free speech and political activism, particularly for individuals advocating for Palestinian justice. Advocates and legal experts have warned that this use of detention as retaliation undermines due process and sets a dangerous precedent for silencing lawful dissent in the United States.
Key Moments: Paterson City Council Meeting
The co-sponsors of the resolution, Councilmen Luis Velez and Ibrahim Omar, both spoke on the importance of the measure before the council voted to pass it unanimously.
Velez noted that Kordia was arrested for exercising her freedom of speech when she protested against the US-backed Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
“That could happen to any one of us. I could look Latino today; tomorrow, I could look Arab, and they probably could put me in a detention center. But I probably have the luxury to come out fast. We are going to support it. The resolution speaks for itself.”
Ibrahim highlighted that Kordia is a Paterson resident who has been in confinement for more than 200 days.
“She has been denied bond twice. She has yet to have a fair trial. … She’s having health issues, mental issues that ICE, unfortunately, is ignoring.”
Ibrahim thanked community members who sent the council members hundreds of emails urging them to address the issue of her unjust detention.
“This resolution is basically just saying that we as a city council, as a body, are in support of her release.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT:
CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Aya Elamroussi, aelamroussi@cair.com, 551-208-5482