Layla is a 17-year-old Muslim American whose life is upended when government agents force her family into Camp Mobius, a relocation facility in the California desert. Despite her initial fear, she refuses to accept the unjust circumstances of her imprisonment. She draws inspiration from historical resistance figures and her father's poetry to organize her fellow teenage internees.

David is Layla's high school boyfriend, a Jewish American teenager whose family history makes him sensitive to government oppression. He is loyal and dedicated, willingly risking his own safety to support Layla when she is sent to the internment camp. He serves as Layla's crucial connection to the outside world, helping her share information about the camp's conditions.

Jake is a corporal in the National Guard stationed at Camp Mobius, recognizable by a prominent compass tattoo on his arm. Raised by a strict military father, he presents a gruff exterior but harbors deep doubts about the morality of the government's internment program. He grapples with the conflict between his military duty and his conscience, leading him to quietly assist the internees.

The Director is the sallow-faced administrator in charge of Camp Mobius. He attempts to mask the brutal reality of the internment camp behind overly positive rhetoric about community and unity. When his authority is challenged, he quickly abandons his pleasant facade, resorting to intimidation, strict discipline, and violence to maintain control.

Ali is Layla's father, a literature professor and respected poet who lost his university job due to his political writings. At Camp Mobius, he is assigned to work in the small library. While he initially counsels caution and cooperation for the sake of his family's survival, his poetry serves as the intellectual foundation for his daughter's rebellion.

Layla's mother is a chiropractor who relies heavily on her faith to navigate the terror of sudden internment. In the camp, she attempts to establish a surreal sense of normalcy by treating fellow detainees. She initially begs her daughter to keep a low profile to ensure the family's survival.

Ayesha is a young internee of Indian descent whom Layla befriends upon arriving at the facility. She is terrified of the camp's claustrophobic conditions, the electrified fences, and the constant surveillance. She struggles to find optimism in their bleak situation, relying on Layla for emotional support.

Soheil is a first-generation Egyptian immigrant and a fellow teenage internee at Camp Mobius. Hotheaded and fiercely angry about the injustice of their imprisonment, he refuses to pretend the facility is anything other than a prison. He is eager to take direct action and push back against their captors.