A New Zealand woman and her six-year-old son have finally been released from U.S. custody after spending nearly four weeks in immigration detention over a visa paperwork issue.
Sarah Shaw, who has lived in Washington state for three years, was stopped by border officials on July 24 while re-entering the country from Canada. She had dropped off her older children at Vancouver airport to visit their grandparents in New Zealand, when officers flagged her “combo card” visa. The document allowed her to work legally in the U.S., but another portion of her petition, filed under the Violence Against Women Act, was still pending.
Her son’s paperwork was approved, but because of the anti-family separation policies, he remained in custody as well, despite her request for his father or a friend to pick him up and take him home.
Instead of permitting her to return home, Immigration and Customs Enforcement transferred Shaw and her son to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, about 2,000 miles from her residence. Advocates say conditions were harsh. Shaw’s phone was confiscated. She was locked into a room each night with her son, and she was denied access to her own clothing.
Her case drew swift criticism from supporters, including the Washington Federation of State Employees, the union she belongs to. They argued that detention was unnecessary and harmful, especially since her son’s visa had already been approved. Immigration attorneys also noted that ICE had the discretion to release Shaw on parole while her paperwork was finalized.
Shaw’s family in New Zealand and friends in the U.S. spoke out during her detention, raising concerns about the impact on her child and calling the ordeal “traumatizing.”
On August 16, Shaw and her son were released and returned to Washington. Their experience has fueled broader debate over immigration enforcement and the risks families face when caught in administrative gaps.
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