North Texas Newlywed Released from ICE Detention After Honeymoon Ordeal

Release from ICE Detention

• 📌 Ward Sakeik, a North Texas newlywed, speaks out after being unexpectedly detained by ICE for five months upon returning from her honeymoon.
• ⛓️ She describes being immediately placed in a tracksuit and shackles, experiencing 16 hours without food or water during her initial processing.

Asylum and Legal Status

• 🇺🇸 Ward's family came to the U.S. in 2011 seeking asylum, and she states she has been a law-abiding resident since age eight.
• 💍 She has built a life in the U.S., attending college, running a wedding photography business, and recently marrying her husband, Tahir.
• ✈️ The couple traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands for their honeymoon, which her attorneys argue was a domestic flight and a protected travel option.
• ⚖️ Attorneys also contend that Ward, being stateless, has no home country to return to and should be protected under federal law.

ICE Arrest and Deportation Attempts

• 🛂 Upon returning from her honeymoon, Ward was arrested by ICE, with two deportation attempts made.
• 📄 ICE stated her arrest was not part of a targeted operation, but a result of being flagged by CBP for flying over international waters outside the U.S. customs zone.

Reintegration and Continued Advocacy

• ✅ Ward was released from ICE custody after her husband and she filed the appropriate legal applications for her to remain in the country as a legal permanent resident.
• 🏡 She is now reunited with her husband, her business, her home, and her support system, expressing her greatest fear was not returning to the life she built.
• ✊ Ward vows to continue fighting for others still detained inside, sharing her love and commitment to their cause.