Context:

The New York Police Department (NYPD) is under investigation for potentially violating city sanctuary laws by sharing sealed records of a Palestinian woman, Leqaa Kordia, with federal immigration authorities. Kordia was arrested by immigration officers in Newark and subsequently detained in Texas, allegedly due to overstaying her visa and her participation in protests. Despite being identified in a Homeland Security release as a Columbia University student, Kordia was not affiliated with the institution. Her attorneys have filed a habeas corpus petition, challenging her detention and asserting violations of her rights, including lack of religious dietary accommodations. The case has attracted attention due to potential mishandling of records and unsubstantiated allegations of money laundering and national security violations against Kordia.

Dive Deeper:

• Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman living in New Jersey, was detained by immigration officers after a routine check-in in Newark, and is currently held in a Texas detention center. Her arrest has sparked an investigation into the NYPD's potential breach of city sanctuary laws by sharing her sealed arrest records with federal authorities.

• Kordia's involvement in a protest outside Columbia University nearly a year prior led to her arrest by NYPD, but charges were dropped without her needing to appear in court. Her participation in the protest was driven by personal loss and mourning due to family deaths in Gaza.

• Homeland Security inaccurately identified Kordia as a Columbia University student in a news release following her arrest, adding to the confusion and complexity of her case. Her attorneys have contested this and other claims, emphasizing that she was never enrolled at the university.

• The Department of Homeland Security has linked Kordia to unproven national security threats and money laundering, despite no evidence found during their investigation, which included tracing her financial transactions and communications.

• Kordia's attorneys argue her detention violates her First and Fifth Amendment rights, as she has faced religious discrimination in the detention center, particularly regarding her inability to access halal meals.

• The Homeland Security Secretary cited her participation in 'pro-Hamas protests' as a reason for her visa revocation, although the NYPD dropped related charges. Kordia's attorneys attribute her visa issues to incorrect legal advice concerning her immigration status.

• A judicial decision to grant Kordia bail was appealed by the government, prolonging her detention and complicating her legal battle. The NYPD's internal investigation aims to determine how and why her sealed arrest records were shared with immigration authorities.