NYPD Shares Palestinian Protester's Info, Fuels Deportation Case

The New York Police Department shared internal arrest records of Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest outside Columbia University, with federal immigration authorities. This information is now being used by the Trump administration to support deportation proceedings against Kordia, whose visa had expired but whose criminal charges were dismissed and sealed. The case has exposed behind-the-scenes cooperation between NYPD and federal agencies, raising questions about New York City's adherence to sanctuary laws designed to prevent police from assisting with immigration enforcement except in criminal investigations. Civil rights groups and city officials are concerned that such information-sharing undermines trust in sanctuary policies, especially as Kordia remains in detention in Texas. The NYPD has justified its actions by referencing exceptions in sanctuary laws for criminal investigations, but critics argue these exceptions are being misapplied. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between local and federal authorities over the handling of immigration enforcement and protest-related arrests.