Kiwi Mother and Son to be Released from US Detention Facility
p>A New Zealand woman and her six-year-old son have been held in a US immigration detention center in Texas for three weeks after being detained at the US-Canada border on July 24.
The mother, Sarah Shaw, has been living and working legally in Washington state since 2021, and was returning from a short trip to Canada when she and her son were taken into custody.
The detention occurred after Ms. Shaw drove her two older children to Vancouver, Canada, for a flight to New Zealand.
According to friends, she was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers upon attempting to re-enter the United States with her youngest son.
Ms. Shaw has been residing in the US on a work permit while her application for an I-360 visa, available to survivors of domestic violence, is pending.
Detention Conditions and Official Response
Following their detention, Ms. Shaw and her son were transported to the Dilley Immigration Processing Centre in South Texas.
A friend, Victoria Besancon, has publicly described the conditions as “comparable to prison” and alleged that agents misled Ms. Shaw about her eligibility for humanitarian parole. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to a New Zealander in US detention.
The family anticipates a resolution shortly. Ms. Shaw’s father, Rod Price, told media in New Zealand that he expects his daughter and grandson to be released on Thursday, August 14 (US time), and that Ms. Shaw has already booked a flight back to her home in Washington.
If she is not released, a court hearing is scheduled for August 29. A public fundraising campaign to cover her legal and travel expenses has raised over $53,000 USD.