Stateless Palestinian Newlywed Freed After 141 Days in ICE Detention

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Published Jul 3, 2025, 03:00 AM

Ward Sakeik, a 22-year-old stateless Palestinian woman from North Texas, was released late Tuesday from the Prairieland Detention Center after spending 141 days in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. She had been arrested on 11 Feb. at the St. Thomas airport while returning from her honeymoon in the U.S. Virgin Islands with her husband, U.S. citizen Taahir Shaikh.

Attorneys for Sakeik said ICE attempted to deport her twice in June—once on 12 June to the Israeli border and again on 30 June—despite a federal court order blocking removal. The legal team has a pending habeas corpus petition and is seeking to reopen her long-standing immigration case; Sakeik has lived in the United States since age eight and recently applied for a green card based on her marriage.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately explain the reasons for the sudden release or outline any conditions attached. Sakeik’s case underscores the challenges stateless individuals face in the U.S. immigration system, where removal is complicated by the absence of a country willing to accept them.

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#Ward Sakeik #Palestinian #North Texas #Prairieland Detention Center #Taahir Shaikh #Sakeik #ICE #Israeli #United States #Department of Homeland Security

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Sources

dallasnews.com(2)wfaa.com univision.com cbsnews.com

WFAA

@wfaa

A North Texas woman who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials as she returned from her honeymoon has been released after nearly five months in detention, an attorney representing her confirmed.

Univision 32

@Univision32

ICE arrested her in Utah with her husband, and even though she had TPS, she was deported. He was imprisoned in the CECOT. “They treated us worse than animals.”