North Texas Newlywed Released from ICE Detention After 5 Months

Release from ICE Detention

• 🕊️ Ward Sakik, a stateless Palestinian woman, was released from ICE detention after over 120 days, rejoining her husband.
• 🤝 The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the legal team celebrated her release, calling for the release of others held unjustly.

Legal Battle and Deportation Attempts

• ⚖️ Sakik was detained in February despite a pending green card application and lawful marriage to a U.S. citizen.
• 🚫 The government made two failed attempts to deport her, including an attempt to send her to the "border of Israel," despite federal court orders halting her deportation.
• 🏛️ Attorneys highlighted the administration's actions as unlawful and unconstitutional, attempting to deport her even after a federal judge's order.

Sakik's Experience and Conditions

• 💔 Sakik described her detention as dehumanizing, comparing the treatment to being moved "like cattle" and experiencing inhumane conditions.
• 🧼 Facilities were described as extremely unhygienic, with dust, insects, and poorly maintained restrooms, leading to illness among detainees.
• 🍽️ She recounted instances of being denied basic necessities like water, food, and medication, and facing difficulties with religious accommodations, including a ripped blanket for prayer and a non-halal diet.

Legal Protections and Statelessness

• 📜 Sakik had protections under Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Palestinians and was considered stateless, meaning no country claims her citizenship.
• ✈️ Despite these protections and living in the U.S. since age 8, she was detained after a domestic flight to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• 🇺🇸 Sakik, a law-abiding resident, business owner, and Magna Cum Laude graduate, expressed her continued love for the U.S. as her home, despite her ordeal.

Community Support and Advocacy

• 🙏 Sakik expressed deep gratitude to her community, professors, friends, family, and legal team for their support.
• ✊ The legal team emphasized that her release was not a favor but a result of legal intervention and ongoing advocacy.
• 🗣️ Speakers highlighted the broader issues of mass incarceration, the treatment of immigrants, and the U.S.'s complicity in the situation in Gaza, urging continued advocacy for all detained individuals.