Stateless Palestinian bride recounts 140 days in ICE custody: ‘I was treated like cattle’

Ward Sakeik, 22, is married to a US citizen. (Photo: X)

A 22-year-old stateless Palestinian woman has spoken out after being held in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention for more than four months, saying she was denied basic rights and subjected to harsh treatment while in custody.

Ward Sakeik, who has lived in the United States since the age of 8, was detained by ICE officials on February 28 after returning from her honeymoon in the US Virgin Islands with her husband, a US citizen. She was taken into custody at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, where authorities told her she was under a final removal order, India Today reported.

Sakeik, who was born in Saudi Arabia but is not recognized as a citizen by any country, said her stateless status led to her prolonged detention. “I was criminalized for being stateless,” she told reporters at a press conference this week. “I lost five months of my life,” she said, as quoted by Times of India.

According to Sakeik, she was transferred between at least four detention facilities during her 140-day stay and was often shackled and transported without food or water.

“I was handcuffed for 16 hours without any water or food on the bus. I was moved around like cattle,” she said, as cited by India Today. She also claimed that she was denied access to her attorney and husband for extended periods, including instances of up to 50 hours.

ICE officials have defended her detention and rejected allegations of mistreatment.

Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, told India Today that all detainees are provided food, medical care, and access to legal counsel. “Any claim that there is a lack of food or substandard conditions at ICE detention centres is false,” she said.

Sakeik said ICE attempted to deport her on two occasions despite a federal court order staying her removal. On one occasion, she told officers walked her onto the tarmac at Fort Worth Alliance Airport in handcuffs before abruptly turning back. The second attempt reportedly occurred early in the morning of June 30. Her lawyers argue both incidents violated her legal rights.

Advocates for stateless individuals argue her case reflects broader systemic issues in US immigration enforcement. “This is what happens when people fall into legal limbo,” one legal representative told the Times of India, highlighting the lack of policy safeguards for stateless residents, even those married to US citizens.

Sakeik is now back with her husband and pursuing her green card application. She says she plans to continue speaking out for others in similar situations. “I never want anyone to go through what I went through,” she said.