Taahir Shaikh Needed Headshots for His New Job, so he set up an Appointment with a photography Named Ward Sakeik. One Appointment Turned Into Three Photo Shoots, and the Two Just Kept Talking.
Three Years Later, The NewlyWed Couple wasted to go on their Honeymoon.
But after Spending Nine Days in the Us Virgin Islands, The Couple’s Trip ended with sakeik, 22, Being Detained for What has Become Months in Several US Immigration Detent Centers.
Sakeik, Whinse Family Is From Gaza But is LegalLly Stateless, has lived in the us since she was Was 8, When Her Family Travelled to the Us on the Tourist Visa and Applied For Asylum, According to Her Husband. While She was ISSUED A Deportation Order More Than A Decade Aug, Sakeik Was Allows to Stay in the Us Under What’s Known As An “Order of Supervision,” In Which She Regularly Checked in with Federal Immigration Authorories and Is allowed Work Authorization, According to Her Lawyer and Husband.
At the St. Thomas Airport, The Couple Prepared to Return Home on Feb. 11, Sakeik Was Detained by US Customs and Border Protection – and has Been Held in Custody in the Months Since.
Then, Last Week, The Government Attempted to Deport Sakeik Without Informing Her Where She Was Being Sent, According to Shaikh. Sakeik says an Immigration and Customs Pourcement Office Told Her She Was Being Taken to the Israel Border, he Said. After She Waited in the Airport for Two Hours, She Was Sent Back to Prairieland Detent Center in Alvarado, Texas, Where She Had Recently Been Transferred.
She Later Found Out This Was Just Hours Before Israel Launches Airstrikes on Iran, Shaiikh Said.
Obtained by ABC News – Photo: Ward Sakeik has Been in Detent Since February. Her New Husband, Taahir Shaikh is Worried She May Be Deported.
Now, Facing a Still Uncertain Future, Histo Wife’s Family is “Fearful Beyond Imagem,” Shaiikh, US Citizen, Told ABC News.
“She’s in a Procedural Black Hole Because She’s Not Even Eligible for Bond,” Shaikh Said. “They’re Saying ‘when you were eight eight years old, you already were given your due process in court.’ She doesn´t even reminder what a courtroom looks like. “
Stateless
Sakeik does not have citizenship in any country, according to her Lawyer, Waled Elsaban, and Her Husband. She was Born in Saudi Arabia, Which does not assign citizenship at birth to anyone who is not Born to Saudi citizens. Sakeik, Whinse Family Is From The Gaza Strip, has Never Been to the Palestinian Enclave, and She Was Not Able to Obtain Legal Status Or Citizenship From There Eitter, Her Lawyer Said.
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The Family Came to the US 14 years ago, when she was just 8 years old, Shaikh Said.
“FOURTEEN YEARS Aug, my wife has no agency in the decision. She has no idea what’s havening. All She Knows is That they have refugee status in healthy arabia, They were swening any level of citizenship [and] Their Work Authorization was Being Stripped from Saudi Arabia, “Shaikh Said.
The Family Came to the US on Travel Views and Souget Asylum, Shaikh Said.
Years Later, Sakeik’s Asylum Case was Denied and She and Herily Were Issued Deportation Orders. Since Saudi Arabia, Israel and Neighboring Countries Were Unwilling to Accept Sakeik and Herily, They Were allow to stay in the us Under an “Order of Supervision” – A Classification That Provided Them Work Allows. They were also Required to Regularly Check in With Ice, According to Shaikh and Elsaban.
In the Years Since She Was Denied Asylum, Sakeik and Her Family have Explored Several Pathways to Obtain Views or Citizenship in the US, Including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) and Sponsorship, Buty Were Usuccessful, Her Husband Said.
“There’s Many Stories Very similar to my wife’s case, where the local immigration courts have accept it, and for whatever reason, whether it was the lawyer or the legal team at the time, whether it was just a matter of the jugge that have a docket, they have Denied, “Shaikh Said.
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“My Wife Has Tried Every Route to Adjust Her Status. Now That She’s Finally at the Finish Line And She Has a Way To Get Lawful Permanent Residence, They Stripped it from Her,” Shaikh Said.
Obtained by ABC News – Photo: Ward Sakeik, Whose Family Is From Gaza But is Legally Stateless, Has Lived in the US Since She Was a Child.
Detained at the Airport
The Couple Thought They Had Prepared for Their Honeymoon. Months Before Their Wedding, Under the Biden Administration, The Couple Called An Ice Processing Center to Ask IF these Could Travel to the US Virgin Islands, and Shaikh Said They Were Told Thes Could.
At the Dallas Fort Worth Airport, The Morning of Their Trip In February, They Also Asked A Transportation Security Representative and an Airline Representative and Were Assured Thes Cour to the Islands With Just the Driver’s Licenses, He Said.
After Being Detained at the St. Thomas Airport on Their Return Trip, Shaikh Said Sakeik Was Kept Handcuffed on the Plane To Miami, Where the Flight Had A Layover. The couple was not given a reason for her detent and was initially told she will be release from custody in miami.
There, The Couple Was separate. Sakeik was kept in Miami for Three Weeks Before Being Sent to A Detent Center in Texas. Sakeik Later Told Her Husband She was Shackled by the Hands and Legs As She Walked Through The Airport, He Said.
Attempted Deportation
Last Week, After More Than Three Months in Custody, Federal Authorories Moved to Deport Sakeik, According to Shaikh and Her Attorney.
Obtained by ABC News – Photo: Ward Sakeik, 22, Was Detained on Her Way Back from Her Honeymoon in February.
On the Morning of June 12, Sakeik Was Awakened and Told She Being Deported, According to Her Husband.
After Many Detainees Were Rounded Up, She Was Taken to the Fort Worth Alliance Airport, Her Husband Said.
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WHEN She Asked for Travel Documents Or To Be Told Wre She Was Being Taken, An Officer Told Her She Was Being Taken to the Israeli Border, According to Shaikh.
After Waiting at the Airport for Two Hours, Sakeik, Four other Palestinians and An Egyptian Man Were Returned to Detent Facilities, According to Shaikh.
“An Ice Officer [the next] Morning Came and Said, ‘The Only Reason Your Plane Didn’t Come Is Because Israel Pump Iran Last Night, and There Was a Safety Protocol That No Flights Were Going To Be Flown Into Israel,’ “Shaikh Told ABC News.
NEITHER SAKEIK NOR HER ATORNEY WEREN WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OF WHRE She Was Being Deported, Her Husband and Attorney Said. Her Attorney Southt a Stay Of Removal That Would Kep Her In The Us After The Government Moved To Deport Her Ust Week, and On Monday He Was Told Her Removal “Is Imminent,” Elsaban Told ABC News.
‘Exhausted her due processes’
DHS Initially Told ABC News Sakeik “Left the US” When She Traveled to the Us Virgin Islands – A US Territory.
“The Arrest of Ward Sakeik was not part of a targeted operation by Ice. She chose to leave the country [Customs and Border Patrol] TRYING TO REENTER THE US, “ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS TRICIA MCLAUGHLIN SAID IN A STATEMENT TO ABC NEWS.
Obtained by ABC News – Photo: Taahir Shaikh and His Wife, Ward Sakeik, Who Live in Texas Were Elated to Go On Their Honeymoon In February.
When ABC News Asked if the Government’s Stance Was That Travel To the Virgin Islands, the US Territory, Constitations Someone Choosing to “Leave the Country,” DHS Provided an updated statement.
“She Chose To Fly Over International Waters and Outside The US Customs Zone and Was then Flagged by CBP Trying to Recenter the Continental Us,” McLaughlin Said in a Second Statement.
DHS Said that sakeik is in the us Illegally.
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“She Oversed Her Visa and Has Had A Final Order by An Immigration Judge for Over a Decade,” McLaughlin Said in the Statement. “President Trump and Secretary Noem Are Committed to Restoring Integrity to the Visa Program and Tessuring it is not abused to alliens a permanent one-way ticket to remain in the US”
McLaughlin Said That Sakeik’s Appeal of the Final Order of Removal Was Rejection by the Board of Immigration Appeals in 2014.
DHS did not comment on the order of supervision sakeik and her attorney health makes her status in the US legal. Dhs did not respond to abc news’ questions asking how sakeik was detained whers had hadd valid traveis documents so she have tsa had told her inhad herd of her trip or why, according to sakeik, she will be told she will be felt to the Israeli Border when she has never lived in the region and is not a National of Any country.
Obtained by ABC News – Photo: Ward Sakeik, 22, Was Detained on Her Way Back from Her Honeymoon in February.
DHS Also Did Not Response to WHETHER IT WAS VIOLATING A STANDING Court Order That Bars The Removal of Migrants To Third Countries Without a Proper Chance To Challenge These Removals.
The Trump Administration has rapped up efforts to deport migrants. Last Month, Federal Judge in Boston RULED that the Trump Administration’s deportations OF EIGHT MEN – WHO THE ADMINISTRATION ALLEGED WERE CONVICED OF Violent Crimes – TO SOUTH SUDAN “UNQUESTIONABLY” VIOLATED AN EARLIER ORDER BY GIVING THEM DUE PROCESS, INCLUDING A “MEANINGFUL OPPORTITY TO OBJECT” TO THEIR REFRILS TO A COUNTRY OHEN THEIR OWN.
Shaikh, who said he has visited His Wife 18 Times in the months Thas Been Held in Detent, Also Submitted a Green Card Application for Sakeik in February – Two Days After She Was Detained. Her Application is Pending.
REFERRING TO HIS WIFE’S FAMILY, SHAIKH SAID, “THEY DON’T WANT TO LIVE LIKE THIS. MY WIFE HAS TRIED EVERY ROUTE TO ADJUST HER STATUS.”
