
A Palestinian woman’s release from ICE custody after nearly five months unveils the tumultuous journey faced by immigrants within the American legal system.
At a Glance
- Ward Sakeik, 28, a stateless Palestinian woman, has been released from ICE detention after nearly five months.
- She was detained in February upon returning from her honeymoon in the U.S. Virgin Islands due to a decade-old deportation order.
- Her lawyers allege the Trump administration attempted to deport her twice in violation of a federal court order.
- A DHS official stated she was flagged upon trying to “reenter the U.S.” and was released after her husband filed the appropriate legal applications.
A Honeymoon Ends in ICE Detention
Ward Sakeik, a 28-year-old stateless Palestinian woman who has lived in the United States since she was a child, has been released from federal custody after a nearly five-month ordeal that began when she returned from her honeymoon. Sakeik was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in February 2025 when she and her husband, a U.S. citizen, returned from their trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Her detention was based on a decade-old deportation order stemming from her family’s failed asylum claim when she was a teenager. Despite having a pending Green Card application, she was taken to a detention facility near Alvarado, Texas.
A Legal Battle to Block Deportation
Sakeik’s case quickly became a high-profile legal battle. Her lawyers secured a federal court order to block her deportation. However, they allege that the Trump administration tried to deport her on two separate occasions in defiance of that order.
“The Trump administration’s brazenly unconstitutional attempt to deport this young woman in violation of a federal court order should shock the conscience of every American,” her attorney, Eric Lee, said in a statement to ABC News. “Had we not intervened, she may very well be in a foreign country right now.”
Conflicting Narratives
Sakeik was suddenly released in the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 2, 2025. Her “sudden release,” as her lawyers called it, came after intense public pressure and media scrutiny.
Released from ICE detention last night!
Thrilled to report Ward Sakeik is free. She is a 22-yr-old stateless Palestinian woman detained by ICE since February after returning from her honeymoon in the US Virgin Islands.
Maria Kari, Chris-Godshall Bennett and my statement: pic.twitter.com/vu8ua1KQ1V
— Eric Lee (@EricLeeAtty) July 2, 2025
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) presented a different narrative of the events. A spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, stated that because Sakeik had a final order of removal, her travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands was considered leaving the country. “She chose to leave the country and was then flagged by [Customs and Border Patrol] trying to reenter the U.S.,” McLaughlin said. The agency maintains she was released only after her husband filed the appropriate legal applications for her to remain in the country. The case highlights the complex and often confusing web of U.S. immigration law and the profound human consequences of its enforcement.