Newlywed’s Dream Honeymoon Turns Into 140-Day ICE Nightmare — You Won’t Believe Why She Was Detained!

Newlywed Bride Detained by ICE for 140 Days After U.S. Honeymoon

A 22-year-old Palestinian woman, Ward Sakeik, spent nearly 140 days in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after what was meant to be a short honeymoon turned into a traumatic ordeal. Ward, who has lived in the United States since she was 8 years old, is stateless—born in Saudi Arabia to Palestinian refugee parents and lacking any formal citizenship.

In January 2025, she married Taahir Shaikh, a U.S. citizen. In February, the couple traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands—a U.S. territory—for their honeymoon. However, while attempting to return to Texas via a connecting flight from St. Thomas, Ward was stopped by Customs and Border Protection. Although she had a valid work permit and a pending green card application, authorities argued that her travel outside the mainland U.S. violated her “order of supervision,” a condition stemming from an earlier denied asylum request.

She was arrested and transferred to multiple ICE facilities, including the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas. During her detention, ICE allegedly attempted to deport her—despite her stateless status and lack of ties to any country. At one point, she was reportedly placed on a plane bound for the Israel border but was removed just before departure.

Ward described her time in custody as dehumanizing, saying she was treated “like cattle,” with little regard for her health or safety. Her husband and legal team fought for months to secure her release, citing her ongoing legal residency process and the fact that she never left U.S. jurisdiction.

On July 2, she was finally released after 140 days of detention. She is now back in Texas, resuming life with her husband as her green card application proceeds.

Her case has raised concerns about how U.S. immigration law treats stateless individuals, especially those caught in legal gray areas despite living in the country for years. It also highlights how travel within U.S. territories can unexpectedly trigger harsh enforcement for vulnerable individuals.