US Government Attempts Second Deportation of Stateless Palestinian Woman Despite Judge’s Order
In a shocking twist of legal defiance, the US government has made a second attempt to deport a stateless Palestinian woman, despite a clear court order blocking her removal, according to federal documents.
Ward Sakeik, a 22-year-old newlywed, was detained in February while returning from her honeymoon in the US Virgin Islands. Just last month, immigration authorities tried to deport her without even disclosing her destination, her husband Taahir Shaikh revealed. Hours before Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, Sakeik was informed she would be dropped at the Israel border.
Her legal team acted fast, and on June 22, US District Judge Ed Kinkeade issued a direct order stopping the government from deporting Sakeik or moving her outside the Texas district where she’s currently in custody. But in a baffling move, immigration officials once again tried to remove her early Monday morning.
Sakeik was woken abruptly by detention officers and told she “had to leave.” When she insisted that a federal judge had blocked her deportation, the officer allegedly replied, “It’s not up to me.”
Her lawyer testified that when Sakeik reached intake, her belongings had already been packed and placed outside, clearly indicating plans for her removal.
Sakeik’s story is deeply complex and heart-wrenching. Born in Saudi Arabia to a family from Gaza, she holds no citizenship – not even from her birth country, as Saudi Arabia doesn’t grant nationality to children of foreigners. At age eight, she came to the United States on a tourist visa with her family, who later applied for asylum – a request that was ultimately denied.
Since the age of nine, she has been under a standing deportation order but was allowed to remain in Texas under a strict supervision program requiring check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Despite her uncertain legal status, Sakeik built a life in the US. She graduated high school in Mesquite, Texas, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, and even launched her own wedding photography business. Then, on January 31, she had a wedding of her own and began the process of obtaining a green card, with the first stage approved.
Her husband, a US citizen, described the emotional rollercoaster they’ve endured: “The past 12 months have been the highest highs and lowest lows. From buying our first home, planning and attending our dream wedding, to now being separated for over 120 days.”
Because of Sakeik’s immigration situation, the couple intentionally avoided international travel and chose to celebrate their honeymoon in the US Virgin Islands, which is a US territory.
But on February 11, a Customs and Border Protection officer stopped her and demanded proof that she was under an “order of supervision”. Sakeik was then handcuffed and flown to Miami, where their flight had a layover before heading back to Texas. Authorities told the couple she would be released there — but that never happened. She has remained in detention ever since.
Meanwhile, Shaikh is struggling to adjust. He now sleeps in the guest room of the home they bought together and avoids using their shared spaces. “I don’t sit on my couch when I eat my meals. I sit on the floor,” he said, describing the survivor’s guilt he’s been carrying.
The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to inquiries about why they tried to deport Sakeik despite a federal judge’s ruling.