Just 48 hours after her release, 22-year old Ward Sakeik, a U.S. college graduate, Texas homeowner, and newlywed—publicly spoke out about her harrowing 140-day detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Born a stateless Palestinian, Sakeik was nearly deported three times despite a federal court order blocking her removal.
At a press conference in Texas, Sakeik shared how ICE agents shackled her for 16 hours without food or water, transferred her between three detention centers, and denied her regular access to legal counsel and family. “I was moved around like cattle,” she said through tears. “They tried to dump me in a part of the world I didn’t know, just because I was born without a country.”
From Solitary Transfers to Collective Resistance Inside
Sakeik described the inhumane conditions inside the detention facilities: filthy restrooms, freezing temperatures, insect infestations, and denial of medical care. “The beds had rust, there were ants, cockroaches, and women were waking up with bruises from bites,” she said.
Despite the trauma, she led an art project with fellow detainees, encouraging them to draw their national flags and write what their country meant to them. “Some flags remained unfinished,” she said, “because the women were deported before we could complete them.” Her collage now symbolizes the resilience of detained immigrant women, many of whom lacked legal representation or media access.
“I was moved around like cattle.”
Ward Sakeik, US college graduate and homeowner, speaks out following 140 days in ICE hellhole pic.twitter.com/bNTgs7362h
— World Socialist Web Site (@WSWS_Updates) July 5, 2025
Legal Fight Highlights Alarming Constitutional Violations
Ward’s attorney, Eric Lee, detailed how ICE ignored legal protections and court orders, including a last-minute attempt to deport her on June 30. He warned of broader implications, especially as the Department of Homeland Security argued Sakeik could be detained for flying domestically to a U.S. territory.
“This should alarm every American,” Lee said. “If ICE can detain a U.S. resident on a domestic flight, what happens when you fly from Hawaii to California—or Alaska to the mainland?”
Lee called the Fourth of July a moment to reflect on the erosion of democratic rights. “If Ward can be treated this way, what does that say about the rights of anyone—citizen or not—in this country?”
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