<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/13/new-zealand-woman-six-year-old-son-ice-detention-us-ntwnfb>
"A New Zealand woman who is being held at a US immigration centre with her
six-year-old son after they were detained crossing the Canada-US border, is
being wrongly “treated like a criminal”, according to her friend and advocate.
Sarah Shaw, 33, a New Zealander who has lived in Washington state for just over
three years, dropped her two eldest children to Vancouver airport on 24 July,
so they could take a direct flight back to New Zealand for a holiday with their
grandparents.
When Shaw attempted to re-enter the US, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(Ice) detained her and her youngest son, in what was a “terrifying” ordeal,
said Victoria Besancon, Shaw’s friend who is helping to raise money for her
legal fight.
“Sarah thought she was being kidnapped,” she said. “They didn’t really explain
anything to her at first, they just kind of quietly took her and her son and
immediately put them in like an unmarked white van.”
Ice confiscated Shaw’s phone and transported the mother and son to the Dilley
immigration processing center in south Texas, many states away from her home,
Besancon said. Foreign nationals caught up in the Trump administration’s
immigration crackdown have similarly been transported to centres far from their
homes, support networks and legal representation.
“It has been absolutely horrible,” Besancon said, adding that aside from the
staff, Shaw and her son are the only English speakers, are locked in their
shared bedroom from 8pm to 8am and are not allowed to wear their own clothes.
“It really is kind of like being in jail ... it has been absolutely devastating
and it’s kind of barbaric.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
