Stateless Palestinian Woman Details 140-Day ICE Detention Abuse

Ward Sakeik, a 22-year-old stateless Palestinian woman and Texas resident, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for nearly five months after returning from her honeymoon in the U.S. Virgin Islands. During her detention, she was shackled for 16 hours without food or water, moved among multiple detention centers, denied regular access to legal counsel and family, and subjected to unsanitary and inhumane conditions including insect infestations and freezing temperatures. Despite being in the process of obtaining a green card through her U.S. citizen husband, ICE attempted to deport her multiple times, including an effort blocked by a federal court order. Sakeik described the trauma and human rights abuses she endured, emphasizing that her statelessness—due to being born in Saudi Arabia to Palestinian parents—led to her criminalization despite her long-standing U.S. residence. The Department of Homeland Security disputed allegations of mistreatment, asserting detainees receive proper care, but Sakeik and her attorney highlighted the broader implications of ICE's actions, warning about the potential for similar detentions during domestic travel within the U.S.