Texas man returns from honeymoon alone after spouse is arrested by ICE in US Virgin Islands | EUROtoday

A recently-married Texas couple has spent over 120 days aside after the bride was detained by ICE throughout their honeymoon within the US Virgin Islands.

Taahir Shaikh of Arlington says his spouse, Ward Sakeik, was detained by ICE in February in St. Thomas, regardless of having a pending inexperienced card utility and documentation of her stateless standing.

“She’s considered stateless, which essentially just means you’re born in a country that doesn’t give you birthright citizenship. And since she was a Palestinian refugee that was born in Saudi Arabia, they weren’t recognized as Saudi nationals,” Shaikh instructed NBC DFW.

Shaikh stated Sakeik was simply 8 years previous when her household arrived within the U.S. on a visa. Although their asylum request was denied, her lack of citizenship meant the federal government couldn’t deport them. Instead, they had been positioned underneath an order of supervision and required to test in with immigration authorities every year.

Sakeik was simply 8 when her household arrived in America on a visa, her husband instructed the outlet.

Although their asylum request was denied, their lack of citizenship meant the federal government couldn’t deport them. Instead, they had been positioned underneath an order of supervision and required to test in with immigration authorities every year.

Since then, Sakeik has graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington and now works as a marriage photographer. She has all the time complied with immigration guidelines for 14 years, Shaikh stated.

Sakeik is presently being held at Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado after spending months detained in McAllen, as her inexperienced card utility stays stalled as a result of her detention.

The couple has spent the primary months of their marriage speaking by way of weekly visits and video calls.

“She constantly says, ‘When I get through this phase of my life, what am I not able to endure after this?’” Shaikh instructed the outlet about his spouse.

He says they fastidiously selected to journey to the U.S. Virgin Islands for his or her honeymoon, believing it wouldn’t jeopardize her pending immigration standing.

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The couple’s legal team is doing everything possible to prevent her from being deported. Though stateless individuals in removal proceedings are typically eligible for release after 90 days, Sakeik has now been held for over 120.

ICE addressed Sakeik’s arrest in a statement to NBC DFW, writing, “The arrest of Ward Sakeik was not part of a targeted operation by ICE. She chose to leave the country and was then flagged by CBP trying to re-enter the U.S.

“The facts are she is in our country illegally. She overstayed her visa and has had a final order by an immigration judge for over a decade. President Trump and Secretary Noem are committed to restoring integrity to the visa program and ensuring it is not abused to allow aliens a permanent one-way ticket to remain in the U.S.”

ICE concluded, “She had a final order of removal since 2011. Her appeal of the final order was dismissed by the Board of Immigration Appeals on February 12, 2014. She has exhausted her due process rights and all of her claims for relief have been denied by the courts.”