Stateless Palestinian Woman Fights Deportation After Marriage to U.S. Citizen

Ward Sakeik and her new husband, Taahir Shaikh, were preparing to leave the U.S. Virgin Islands after their honeymoon when federal agents intervened at the airport. Sakeik, a Palestinian who is legally stateless despite residing in the United States since childhood, was handcuffed and detained on a flight to Miami on February 11th. She had married Shaikh, a U.S. citizen, just ten days prior.

The 22-year-old was held in Florida for three weeks before being transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Texas. After nearly five months in custody, Shaikh was able to bring her home to the Dallas-Fort Worth area on July 2nd.

During her detention, the Trump administration attempted to deport her twice, even threatening to send her to Israel's border amidst Israeli-Iranian conflict. A federal judge ultimately intervened to prevent her deportation.

Sakeik was born to Palestinian refugees in Saudi Arabia, where citizenship is not granted by birth. Her family sought asylum in the United States in 2011 after entering on tourist visas. Although their asylum petition was denied, they were granted permission to stay in the U.S. under an "order of supervision," allowing them to live and work legally while regularly checking in with immigration officials.

Sakeik met Shaikh three years ago, and they married in February. On June 12th, ICE officers informed her that she was being deported to "the border of Israel," despite her stateless status and the lack of a path to citizenship in Israel or the West Bank. This removal attempt was halted due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

On June 22nd, District Judge Ed Kinkeade blocked the government from deporting her. However, on June 30th, agents woke her and told her to prepare for immediate departure. She contacted her husband and legal team in distress, but was eventually returned to her dorm. Two days later, she was released.

Department of Homeland Security officials attributed her release to the couple's legal applications. However, her attorneys disputed this, noting that Shaikh's petition to sponsor her for a green card was approved just days before the second deportation attempt. Her attorney stated that the attempt to deport her was unconstitutional and that it should shock the conscience of every American.