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Time Magazine
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Detained by ICE on Her Honeymoon: Ward Sakiek's Saga
Ward Sakeik stands in a Dallas kitchen making watermelon juice. For 140 days, someone else decided what and when she would eat. The 22-year-old wedding photographer spent the last five months in ICE detention after being arrested on her own honeymoon. Recently released and reunited with her family, the simple act of planning her day feels overwhelming. "I feel like I'm so behind in life," she says. Her case became a rallying point for immigration advocates in a time of tumult and uncertainty for anyone not born in the U.S. But Sakeik says her experience was all the more bewildering because every question she faced had been resolved over a decade ago. She and her husband had planned their honeymoon carefully, specifically choosing destinations within the territory of the United States because of her immigration status. Sakeik is stateless. Born in Saudi Arabia, she moved to the U.S. with her family when she was nine. Saudi Arabia does not automatically grant citizenship to children born on its soil, and acquiring citizenship there—especially with non-Saudi parents or lineage—is a rare and difficult process. Sakeik's family is originally from the Gaza Strip, which along with the West Bank and East Jerusalem is regarded by international law as Occupied Palestinian Territory.' Their family never flew under the radar ever since day one,' says Sakeik's husband, Taahir Shaikh, a U.S. citizen. 'America knew who they were when they came into the border. They went through the court system. They were given due process. They complied with their deportation orders.' Those orders had been suspended as a matter of routine. Shaikh says the family was granted an Order of Supervision (OSUP) by ICE, a system allowing noncitizens awaiting deportation or other immigration proceedings to stay in the U.S. under certain restrictions—such as regular check-ins—rather than being held in detention. ' She's gone to the same ICE processing center every year her entire life for 14 years,' Taahir says. ICE officers would mention how she's grown up since they had last seen her, and even congratulated her on her college graduation in 2023, he recalls. Her stateless status left her vulnerable. 'She doesn't have an embassy or a consulate back home that can fight for her legal protection,' Taahir Shaikh notes. Read More: Barred from the Birth of His Son, Mahmoud Khalil's Case Brings Family Separation into FocusThe couple planned their honeymoon accordingly. "I told my husband… we're gonna have to travel within the U.S., even though I would love to go to Turkey," Sakeik recalls. "So we decided that we're going to do two weeks in the Virgin Islands because it's U.S. territory." At the Dallas airport, airline employees confirmed their plan was sound. Upon their return, they planned to continue their honeymoon at national parks in Arizona and stayed nine days in the Virgin Islands, but as they prepared to fly home, Sakeik was detained by ICE—first at the St. Thomas Airport, then again when they reached Miami. What followed was months of confusion. In St. Thomas, a Customs and Border Protection officer told her that if she could provide proof of her scheduled reporting date with ICE, she would be released. She did, but 'I still was detained regardless.' History did not seem to matter. "For the last 14 or 15 years that I've been here in America, I was never hiding from ICE. They know exactly where I [was]. They know where I live, they know my family, they know the air I breathe, they know everything," she says. Even when she was transferred to Dallas facilities, the disconnect persisted. 'They're my people,' she recalls thinking. 'They know what's going on.' But the officers who held her seemed unaware of her record. 'When a lot of them were confused, that's when I [thought], who the hell do I blame?" Sakeik was held in three different facilities during her detention, the longest at the El Valle Detention Center outside of McAllen, Texas. There, dust would visibly fall whenever the lights would turn on. When she complained to facility management, "he literally told me, 'you are in the detention center. What do you expect?' The dormitory housed about 100 women, mostly Latina immigrants and some Russians, most of whom wore blue uniforms indicating they were not considered criminals. Sakeik calls them 'blues.' 'We're all different. The way we came [here], the way our lives are, what we live for, what we've achieved, our jobs, and what documents we have.' The names of previous detainees were carved onto the mental bunks. "On my bed alone, I have probably had like a hundred names.' After years of running her own business and making her own decisions, Sakeik found herself subject to someone else's routine for every aspect of her day. She found solace in Just Dance DVD's, which also kept her active. Then, on June 12, she was awakened in the middle of the night and told to gather her things. An official told her she was about to be flown 'to the Israeli border' on a flight her husband later learned was scheduled for Egypt. But waiting on the tarmac, she was told she was staying after all. Twenty days later, on July 2, Sakeik was eating Maruchan ramen with a friend when an ICE officer called her aside. "I went outside and I saw that he was holding documents. So I literally thought in my head, he's about to make me sign another travel document to God knows wherever," she recalls. "And then he looked at me, 'Hey, you're being released.' I started laughing. I was like, yeah, you think so?" "I didn't believe that I was getting released up until I hugged my husband… that's how far off it was from me. I didn't believe it. I didn't trust anybody." But after more than 10 years in America, Sakeik had a community to vouch for her. Her release came after a sustained advocacy campaign organized by her husband and people who knew her. Taahir had started a social media page, and with their legal team started a petition to present to their local congresswoman. Taahir also gathered testimonials from people from her mosque, past university professors, business partners, friends, and her photography teacher. Imam Omar Suleiman, founding president of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, got their story out to millions, sharing Sakeik's story in a Friday sermon. 'She literally embraced every opportunity the country gave her,' Taahir says. 'She went through the American school system. This is a girl who has an annual blood donation record at her local Carter BloodCare. Every single client or person that's interacted with her can vouch that her heart is [pure].' It is also more devout. The time in detention brought Sakeik closer to her faith; she decided to start practicing wearing a hijab. "That's the biggest blessing,' she says, 'because I promise you, whenever your freedom has been taken away from you and you have your time with God, you really start to reflect." Sakeik now has an insider's view of the Trump Administration's sweeping immigration enforcement campaign, which extends beyond those with criminal cases to target undocumented individuals regardless of their legal or compliance status. To satisfy presidential demands, field offices are directed to meet new daily arrest quotas—75 arrests per office—raising agency-wide targets to 1,200–1,500 arrests per day, up from only about a few More: Can Trump Deport U.S. Citizens Like Elon Musk and Zohran Mamdani?Her experience reflects an agency with spotty internal communication. "Some of the ICE officers themselves would even tell me, 'I don't know why you're here,'' Sakeik recalls. 'Some of them would straight up tell me, 'If it was up to us, we'd release you.'"She's planning to reopen her photography business in the fall but is taking time to readjust to life outside detention. "I sleep a lot. I stay mainly indoors,' she says. 'It's just the same routine I had in detention, I'm having difficulty letting it go." She shops online to avoid the anxiety produced by visiting stores. "Everything in Costco is considered contraband at the detention center.' But Sakeik also has pledged not to forget what she left behind. "I know how excited I was to receive a letter in there. I would literally fly off of my bunk when the mail lady would come," she says. Sakeik plans to start a letter-writing campaign to support women still inside, and speak for them in now that she's free. "You know, there're plenty more women detained that unfortunately are not getting the same media attention or are too afraid to speak up," she says. "So if I can be that one voice… then yes, why not?"
Time Business News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Time Business News
Heartbreaking Truths: Ward Sakeik's 140 Days in ICE Detention—A Newlywed's Ordeal and America's Immigration Challenge
Ward Sakeik, a 22-year-old stateless Palestinian woman and newlywed from Texas, has spoken out after enduring 140 days in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention. Her harrowing experience, described as being 'treated like cattle,' has ignited a national debate about the treatment of stateless individuals and the broader realities of the US immigration system. Sakeik's account, delivered at an emotional press conference in Dallas-Fort Worth, has become a flashpoint for human rights advocates, legal experts, and immigrant communities across the United States and India. Ward Sakeik's story has become a rallying point for immigrant rights activists across the United States. Her detailed account of life in ICE detention has sparked protests outside federal buildings and detention centers, with demonstrators demanding better treatment for detainees and urgent reforms to immigration enforcement. Placards bearing her name and story have appeared at rallies, and her case is being cited in petitions to lawmakers calling for the end of prolonged detention for stateless individuals and those with pending legal status. The psychological scars left by Sakeik's detention are evident in her public statements. She has spoken about the constant fear and uncertainty that defined her daily existence, never knowing when she might be transferred, deported, or allowed to speak with her loved ones. The lack of access to basic comforts, such as fresh air, sunlight, and nutritious food, contributed to feelings of isolation and despair. Sakeik has described how even small acts of kindness from fellow detainees or rare moments of communication with her husband became lifelines in an otherwise bleak environment. Legal experts following her case point out that Sakeik's ordeal exposes significant gaps in the U.S. immigration system's handling of stateless persons. Without a country willing to accept her, Sakeik was trapped in a legal limbo, unable to return to her birthplace or move forward with her life in the United States. Advocates argue that her experience demonstrates the urgent need for new legislation that addresses the unique challenges faced by stateless individuals, including clearer guidelines for release and protection from indefinite detention. The broader implications of Sakeik's experience are being debated in legal circles and among policymakers. Some lawmakers have called for congressional hearings to investigate ICE detention practices and to consider reforms that would prevent similar cases in the future. There is growing support for the creation of a pathway to legal residency or citizenship for stateless residents who have lived in the U.S. for many years and have established deep ties to the community. Ward Sakeik's ordeal began in February 2025, shortly after returning from her honeymoon in the US Virgin Islands with her husband, Taahir Shaikh, a US citizen. The couple had deliberately chosen the Virgin Islands, a US territory, to avoid complications with international travel due to Sakeik's pending green card application. Despite these precautions, Sakeik was detained by ICE at Miami International Airport, still wearing her wedding ring and carrying documentation outlining her immigration status. Sakeik, who has lived in the United States since she was eight years old, was immediately separated from her husband and placed in handcuffs. 'I was just coming back from my honeymoon with my husband,' she recalled. 'Instead, I was shackled, handcuffed for 16 hours without food or water, and moved around like cattle.' Her initial shock quickly turned into a months-long ordeal marked by uncertainty, deprivation, and fear. During her 140 days in ICE custody, Sakeik was transferred between at least four detention facilities. She described being repeatedly shackled, forced to wear a gray tracksuit, and transported for hours without basic necessities. 'I was handcuffed for 16 hours without any water or food on the bus,' she said, recalling the physical and emotional toll of her detention. 'I was moved around like cattle. The US government tried to dump me in a part of the world where I had no idea where I was going, what I was doing.' Sakeik also reported being denied access to a phone for days at a time, unable to contact her husband or attorney. 'There were stretches—36 hours, 50 hours—when I was not allowed to call my attorney or my husband,' she recounted. 'ICE thugs told me I could contact my family and lawyer 'when you get to the country or when you get to the transfer or whenever you get wherever you're getting.'' The uncertainty and lack of communication exacerbated her distress, leaving her feeling powerless and alone. Sakeik's statelessness—born in Saudi Arabia but holding no citizenship—complicated her case. Despite living in the US for most of her life and being married to a US citizen, she was subject to a final removal order that had been in place for over a decade. Her family's original asylum request had been denied, but they were not deported due to their stateless status and instead placed under an order of supervision, requiring annual check-ins with immigration authorities. ICE attempted to deport Sakeik on at least two occasions, even as federal court orders barred her removal. The first deportation attempt involved taking her to the Israel border amid regional conflict, and the second came just a day before her eventual release. Both times, Sakeik was given no opportunity to contact her family or legal team. 'These deportations, they just happened all of a sudden—I was not given a phone call,' she said. Her legal team has condemned ICE's actions as unlawful and inhumane. The Department of Homeland Security has denied allegations of mistreatment, insisting that all detainees receive proper meals, medical care, and opportunities to communicate with family and lawyers. 'Ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE,' said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. 'Any claim that there is a lack of food or subprime conditions at ICE detention centers are false.' However, Sakeik's account has resonated with advocates and the public, many of whom see her experience as emblematic of broader issues within the US immigration system. Human rights organizations have called for independent investigations into ICE detention practices, while legal experts argue that the treatment of stateless individuals like Sakeik exposes fundamental flaws in current policies. The case has also drawn attention in India, where debates about statelessness, refugee rights, and the treatment of immigrants are ongoing. For Sakeik, the psychological impact of her detention has been profound. 'I lost five months of my life because I was criminalized for being stateless, something I have absolutely no control over. I didn't choose to be stateless,' she said. The experience has left her questioning the values she was taught growing up in America. 'The humanity that I was taught in school growing up is not the humanity that I've seen. It was stripped away from me.' Her release, just 48 hours before her press conference, was a moment of overwhelming relief. 'I was overfilled with joy and a little shock,' she said. 'It was my first time seeing a tree in five months.' Sakeik is now focused on rebuilding her life, reuniting with her husband, and advocating for others who remain in detention. Sakeik's husband, Taahir Shaikh, has emerged as a vocal advocate for her and others in similar situations. He has given interviews describing the emotional toll of being separated from his wife and the frustration of navigating a complex and often unresponsive bureaucracy. His efforts to raise awareness have included organizing community meetings, reaching out to elected officials, and collaborating with immigrant support organizations to push for systemic change. The outpouring of support for Sakeik has extended beyond the United States, with international human rights groups and diaspora communities expressing solidarity. In India, where issues of statelessness and refugee rights are also pressing concerns, her story has resonated with activists and policymakers. Debates in Indian media have drawn parallels between Sakeik's ordeal and the experiences of stateless populations in South Asia, highlighting the global nature of the problem. Despite her release, Sakeik continues to face uncertainty regarding her future in the United States. Her legal team is working to secure her permanent residency, but the process is fraught with bureaucratic hurdles and the risk of further detention. Sakeik has expressed determination to use her experience as a platform to advocate for others, vowing to speak out until meaningful change is achieved for all stateless individuals in America. Her case has also prompted discussions about the mental health needs of detainees. Medical professionals and psychologists have called for increased access to counseling and support services for those held in immigration detention, noting the long-term effects of trauma and isolation. Sakeik's willingness to share her story publicly has helped destigmatize the mental health struggles faced by many in detention. Ward Sakeik's 140-day ordeal in ICE detention has become a symbol of the urgent need for immigration reform and greater compassion in the treatment of vulnerable individuals. As her story continues to inspire advocacy and debate, it serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of bureaucratic indifference and the resilience of those who refuse to be silenced by injustice. Author Credits TIME BUSINESS NEWS
NDTV
06-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"Handcuffed For 16 Hours, Treated Like Cattle": Newlywed Bride Recounts US Detention Horror
A 22-year-old Palestinian woman from Texas, who recently got married to a US citizen, has spoken out about her harrowing experience in immigration detention. Ward Sakeik, born in Saudi Arabia but without citizenship in any country, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Miami International Airport in February after returning from her honeymoon. She spent 140 days in custody, where she claims she was treated poorly, likening her experience to being treated like "cattle." Ms Sakeik was released from immigration detention on Thursday, July 3, after more than four months in confinement. Before her arrest, she had been complying with ICE requirements, regularly checking in as mandated. After her release, Ms Sakeik expressed her mixed emotions, saying she felt joyful and shocked, notably mentioning it was her first time seeing a tree in five months. "I lost five months of my life because I was criminalised for being stateless, something that I have no control over. I didn't choose to be stateless. I didn't do a crime that made me stateless. I had no choice. I was just stateless," Ms Sakeik said during a press conference, as reported by ABC News. "I have been a law-abiding resident of the United States since I was 8 years old. I went to college. I run a successful wedding photographer business here in DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth), and I recently married Taahir," Ms Sakeik added. She also stated that the US government had attempted to deport her to a part of the world where she did not know her destination or situation. "I was handcuffed for 16 hours without any water or food on the bus. I have moved around like cattle. And, the US government attempted to dump me in a part of the world where I don't know where I'm going and what I'm doing or anything," she said. Notably, the 22-year-old was born in Saudi Arabia but is stateless. She moved to the US at age 8 and had been living there for most of her life. What happened at the detention centre? During the press conference, she recounted her experience, describing how she was immediately put in a grey tracksuit and shackles after her arrest. Ms Sakeik alleged she was transferred between three detention centres, facing harsh conditions at each. During her first transfer, she spent 16 hours on a bus without eating, as she was fasting for Ramadan, the Guardian reported. "We were not given any water or food, and we could smell the driver eating Chick-fil-A. We would ask for water, bang on the door for food, and he would just turn up the radio and act like he wasn't listening to us," she said. She eventually broke her fast in the intake room, near a toilet, due to the dire circumstances. At the Prairieland detention centre, she reported that the dusty environment was causing widespread illness among the women detainees. "The restrooms are also very, very, very unhygienic. The beds have rust everywhere. They're not properly maintained. And cockroaches, grasshoppers, spiders, you name it, are all over the facility. Girls would get bit," she added. Why was she arrested? Ward Sakeik and her husband, US citizen Taahir Shaikh, had chosen the US Virgin Islands for their honeymoon to avoid international travel complications while her green card application was pending. However, upon their return, immigration authorities detained her. The Department of Homeland Security later stated that she had flown over international waters and was flagged by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) while trying to re-enter the continental US. However, the US Virgin Islands are a US territory that doesn't require a passport for travel. US officials also said she overstayed her visa and had a removal order for years. Why is she stateless? Ward Sakeik, born in Saudi Arabia to a family from Gaza, is stateless due to Saudi Arabia's policy of not granting citizenship to children of foreigners. At age 8, her family arrived in the US on a tourist visa and later applied for asylum, which was denied. Although she received a deportation order over a decade ago, Ms Sakeik was allowed to remain in the US under an "order of supervision." This arrangement required her to regularly check in with federal immigration authorities and granted her work authorisation, according to her lawyer and husband. Ms Sakeik went on to graduate from high school and the University of Texas, Arlington, started a wedding photography business, and married Taahir Shaikh. She had also begun the process of obtaining a green card. Ms said she now plans to continue to advocate on behalf of those who remain in ICE detention. "I also want the world to know that the women who do come here come here for a better life, but they're criminalised for that. They are dehumanised, and they're stripped away from their rights. We have been treated as a 'less-than' just simply for wanting a better life," she said.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US tries to deport stateless Palestinian woman again despite judge's order
The US government has tried for the second time to deport a stateless Palestinian woman, according to court documents – despite a judge's order barring her removal. Ward Sakeik, a 22-year-old newlywed, was detained in February on her way home from her honeymoon in the US Virgin Islands. Last month, the government attempted to deport her without informing her where she was being sent, according to her husband, Taahir Shaikh. An officer eventually told her that she would be sent to the Israel border – just hours before Israel launched airstrikes on Iran. After her lawyers filed suit on her behalf, US district judge Ed Kinkeade issued an order on 22 June barring the government from deporting Sakeik or removing her from the Texas district where she is being detained while her case is decided. But on Monday, the government tried once again to deport her. Officers at the detention facility woke her up early in the morning on Monday, and told her she 'had to leave'. When she tried to tell the officer there was a court order blocking her removal, the officer responded: 'It's not up to me.' 'Sakeik informed me that when she arrived at intake, her belongings had been placed outside the door,' her lawyer testified in court documents. Sakeik's family is from Gaza, but she was born in Saudi Arabia, which does not grant birthright citizenship to the children of foreigners. She and her family came to the US on a tourist visa when she was eight and applied for asylum – but were denied. She has had deportation orders since she was nine years old, but she and her family were allowed to remain in Texas as long as they complied with requirements to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Eventually, she graduated from high school in Mesquite, Texas, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas Arlington and started a wedding photography business. On 31 January, she had a wedding of her own. She applied for a green card, and the first stage of her application was approved. 'The past 12 months of my life have just been the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows. You go from buying your first home, planning your dream wedding, attending that wedding, going on your honeymoon, to being separated for over 120 days,' said her husband, a US citizen, in a press conference in June. Due to Sakeik's immigration status, the couple had deliberately chosen not to travel internationally for their honeymoon, deciding to explore the Virgin Islands, a US territory, instead. On 11 February, a Customs and Border Protection officer stopped Sakeik and asked for proof she was under an 'order of supervision', allowing her to remain in the US despite deportation orders. Sakeik was kept handcuffed on the plane to Miami, according to ABC News, where the couple's flight back to Texas had a layover. The couple was told she would be released there. But she has been held in detention ever since. Shaikh has struggled to cope in the weeks since. He sleeps in the guest room of the house they purchased together, rather than the master bed, he told the Dallas Morning News last month. 'I don't sit on my couch when I eat my meals, I sit on the floor,' he said, out of survivor's guilt. The Department of Homeland Security claimed that Sakeik was flagged because she 'chose to fly over international waters and outside the US customs zone and was then flagged by CBP trying to re-enter the continental US'. '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,' said assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin. McLaughlin did not address the Guardian's question about why the government tried to deport Sakeik despite a judge's order barring her removal.
Indian Express
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
A newlywed was shackled by ICE officers after her US honeymoon: ‘Moved like cattle, no food or water'
A newlywed Palestinian woman from Texas says she was shackled, denied food and water, and 'moved around like cattle' during nearly five months in US immigration custody, all for being stateless. Ward Sakeik, 22, who has lived in the United States since she was eight years old, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in February while returning from her honeymoon in the US Virgin Islands. Despite a court order barring her deportation, she remained in detention for 140 days until her release earlier this week. 'I did lose five months of my life because I was criminalised for being stateless, something that I absolutely have no control over,' Sakeik said during a press conference in Texas on Thursday, according to an ABC News report. 'Humanity was stripped away from me.' After her detention, the US government attempted to deport her twice. During the first attempt, she was told she would be taken to the Israeli border, at the very moment Israel was launching airstrikes on Iran. The second time, authorities again moved to deport her, despite a judge's order explicitly prohibiting her removal from Texas. 'I was moved around like cattle and the US government attempted to dump me in part of the world where I don't know where I'm going and what I'm doing or anything,' Sakeik said. As per a report in The Guardian, Sakeik was born in Saudi Arabia to a family originally from Gaza, but because the kingdom does not grant citizenship to children of foreign nationals, she entered the US with her family in 2011 on a tourist visa. The family later applied for asylum. Though she was issued a deportation order as a child, she was allowed to remain in the country under an 'order of supervision,' a designation that allowed her to work and regularly check in with immigration authorities. Over the years, Sakeik graduated from high school, earned a degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, and built, what she called 'a successful wedding photography business'. Earlier this year, she married 28-year-old Taahir Shaikh, a US citizen, and filed for a green card. The initial phase of her application was approved while she remained in detention. A post shared by @justiceforwardsakeik ICE tried to deport her again, in violation of the court order and existing protections under the Biden administration's Deferred and Forced Departure (DED) policy for Palestinians, according to her attorneys. 'She had the right to travel to a US territory, which is what she did,' said attorney Maria Kari. 'This young couple researched their options, they went to the US Virgin Islands, a domestic flight, yet here we are with Ward having spent nearly five months in detention as a result.' The Department of Homeland Security was quote in The Guardian as claiming that Sakeik was flagged because she 'chose to fly over international waters and outside the US customs zone' and was stopped by Customs and Border Protection while attempting to re-enter the continental US. However, the US Virgin Islands are a US territory, and no passport is required for travel there. '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,' said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. Sakeik described the conditions at the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas, from where she was released on Tuesday, as 'inhumane,' citing dirty bathrooms, rusted beds, and insect infestations. 'The restrooms are also very, very, very much unhygienic. The beds have rust everywhere, are not properly maintained — ants, cockroaches, grasshoppers, spiders all over the facility. Girls will get bit. Girls will wake up with giant bruises,' she said. A DHS official told ABC News that Sakeik was released after she filed the proper applications to adjust her status based on her marriage. Her attorneys rejected that explanation, saying ICE continued to pursue her deportation even after learning her green card petition had been approved. 'We thought the US government didn't recognise Palestine as a country,' said attorney Eric Lee. 'Apparently, that wasn't a problem when they tried to deport her there…to a place that's experiencing a genocide.' Sakeik's family remains stateless, and she is still navigating the legal process to gain permanent residency. In the meantime, she says she plans to advocate for others in ICE custody. 'Women come here seeking a better life, but they're criminalised for that. They are dehumanised, and they're stripped away from their rights. We have been treated as a 'less-than' just simply for wanting a better life,' she said. 'I want to speak up for those who are still inside.'
