A New Zealand woman living in Washington state was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) along with her 6-year-old son at the Canadian border. The arrest happened after she dropped her other children off in Vancouver, Canada.
Sarah Shaw, who is applying for a U.S. green card, was taken into custody even though she had some immigration documents. She is now being held in a detention center in Texas.
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, ICE has been enforcing immigration laws more strictly. This includes action against people who already have legal status, which has made travel riskier for green card applicants and visa holders.
Shaw’s friend, Victoria Besancon, set up a GoFundMe page explaining what happened. On July 24, Shaw drove her two older children to the Vancouver airport so they could fly to New Zealand to visit their grandparents. She crossed into Canada without problems, but when she returned to the U.S., border officials detained her and her youngest son, Isaac.
Shaw originally came to the U.S. through her ex-husband’s sponsorship. Now she is applying for a green card on her own under a rule for domestic violence survivors. She had permission to work in the U.S. but did not yet have permission to travel — a separate approval known as a “combo card.” Her son did have travel permission.
Her lawyer, Minda Thorward, told NBC’s King 5 News that in past administrations, Customs and Border Protection would likely have allowed Shaw back into the U.S. quickly. But under Trump’s policies, that didn’t happen.
Both Shaw and Isaac are still being held, with Shaw at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas.
Shaw works for the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families and was about to start graduate school. The GoFundMe has raised more than $33,000 to help cover her legal fees and living expenses.
Shaw’s case is not unique. Recently, other legal residents have also been detained by ICE. Some had criminal records, but others say they only made mistakes with paperwork and should be released.
Her friend Besancon said, “Sarah had been waiting on travel documents to be approved. Once her visa and her children’s visas were cleared, she thought it was safe to go. We all thought it was fine. She is shocked and devastated.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a recent statement, “People who are in the U.S. illegally can choose to leave voluntarily or face arrest and deportation. We are even offering free flights and $1,000 to those who self-deport. If they leave now, they may have the chance to return the legal way.”
Shaw is not yet listed in ICE’s public detainee locator. Her friends and legal team are asking for her and her son to be released.
