New Zealand woman and six-year-old son detained for three weeks by Ice in US enduring ‘terrifying’ ordeal
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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.
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