“What’s at Stake is Everything”: The Last Columbia Protester in ICE Detention
5-4
Prologue Projects
4.5 • 3.7K Ratings
🗓️ 11 November 2025
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
You've heard about all the Supreme Court cases about how immigration law is different, about how ICE's powers are different, about how the Trump administration can do whatever it wants…on this episode, Rhiannon talks to Leqaa Kordia's lawyers about what all this means for a Palestinian woman in ICE detention right now. The good news is: our liberation is interconnected, and we can fight the good fight.
Sign the Free Leqaa Petition: Free Leqaa Campaign
Follow the Free Leqaa Campaign on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freeleqaakordia/
Hear Leqaa in her own words: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/detained-the-last-columbia-protester/id207505466?i=1000735106793
New Yorker article: https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-last-columbia-protester-in-ice-detention
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5-4 is presented by Prologue Projects. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto. Leon Neyfakh provides editorial support. Our website was designed by Peter Murphy. Our artwork is by Teddy Blanks at Chips NY, and our theme song is by Spatial Relations. Transcriptions of each episode are available at fivefourpod.com
Follow the show at @fivefourpod on most platforms. On BlueSky, find Peter @notalawyer.bsky.social, Michael @fleerultra.bsky.social, and Rhiannon @aywarhiannon.bsky.social.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey everyone, it's Riannon. |
| 0:06.1 | On this special episode of 5 to 4, I interview two lawyers who represent Laqqqqqqqqqqqqqa, a Palestinian woman currently in ICE detention. |
| 0:15.8 | Laqat was one of many who showed up to protest genocide outside Columbia University in the spring of |
| 0:21.3 | 2024. After that, she was surveilled by ICE and put in detention earlier this year. |
| 0:28.3 | Despite a judge ordering twice that she be released, Laqat remains in detention eight months later. |
| 0:34.8 | Her attorneys talk to me about how the government has used procedural tricks |
| 0:38.4 | to keep loquat detained, how Laqat's targeting connects to the Trump regime's repression of |
| 0:43.9 | dissent, and what's at stake for all of us in Laqat's case. This is 5 to 4, a podcast about how much |
| 0:51.8 | ice sucks. |
| 0:59.2 | Thank you. A podcast about how much ice sucks. We are very, very honored, so appreciative to have a little bit of time today with some of |
| 1:05.6 | Laqa Kurdia's lawyers. |
| 1:07.4 | We are honored to welcome Amal Thabate and Sadhaf Hesan 254. Welcome Amal and Sadaf. |
| 1:14.2 | Thanks so much for having us. It's truly an honor to talk about our favorite person today. |
| 1:18.5 | Yes. Amal is a lawyer with the Clear Project. Sadaf is a lawyer with Muslim advocates. And they |
| 1:25.4 | represent Laqqqq Kurdia alongside the Texas Civil Rights Project and the |
| 1:30.9 | Boston University School of Law Immigrants Rights Clinic, as well as the private law |
| 1:35.7 | waters, Kraus, Paul, and Siegel. |
| 1:38.3 | And so Amal and Saddaf are joining us today to talk about their clients, Laqa Kurdia, the last of the Columbia |
| 1:46.0 | protesters to still be held in ICE custody. |
| 1:49.4 | You know, our listeners know a little bit about, for example, like Mahmoud Khalil, because |
| 1:53.3 | we've talked about Mahmoud on 5-4 before, you know, the Columbia University graduate student, |
| 1:59.5 | a legal permanent resident who was detained by |
... |
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