Nearly seven months after the Trump administration cracked down on pro-Palestinian activists, the only one still jailed is breaking her silence, recounting how the suffering of family members in Gaza drove her to protest.

Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian from the West Bank who has lived in New Jersey since 2016, has been held in a U.S. immigration detention center since March. The experience has left her feeling powerless to assist family members caught in the war or to speak out on their behalf, she said.

“Most days I feel helpless,” Kordia, 32, said recently. “I want to do something, but I can’t from here. I can’t do anything.”

Here are some takeaways from a recent interview with Kordia, the first since her arrest:

Motivated by the loss of family

Kordia said she was moved to protest beca

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