New Zealand mother detained by ICE at US border

A New Zealand woman and her son are detained by ICE after attempting to re-enter the United States at the US-Canada border, drawing scrutiny over detention conditions and due process.

New Zealand mother detained by ICE at US border

Sarah Shaw, 33, and her six-year-old son were detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 24 after Shaw drove to Vancouver to visit her grandparents in New Zealand and tried to re-enter the United States where she has lived for more than three years, working as a youth counsellor at a juvenile detention facility in Washington. Shaw’s friend describes the detention as harsh and isolating, with limited access to legal counsel and communication. She says Shaw has not received formal charge paperwork and has not been added to ICE’s detainee locator system, while basic needs like toothbrushes and shampoo were paid for from her commissary funds.

Her friend, Victoria Besancon, said Shaw and her son are held in a locked room with five bunk beds and are allowed to move only from 8am to 8pm, with the rest of the time spent in a cell with other families. Besancon compared the experience to being in jail and highlighted language barriers, as Shaw is one of the few English speakers at the facility. Shaw’s lawyer indicated a temporary immigration document had made her eligible to re-enter, but an administrative error hindered the process. The Washington Federation of State Employees has called for Shaw’s release, arguing the trauma already caused may never be healed. The Independent has contacted ICE for comment.

The incident exposes the human cost of a tightened border regime. When paperwork or administrative steps go wrong, families can be swept into detention with little clarity about their status or rights. Critics say such cases reveal a system that treats people as statistics rather than as people, amplifying fear and confusion for children and communities.

International scrutiny adds pressure on US policy makers. New Zealand officials are monitoring the case, underscoring how border enforcement actions ripple beyond US soil and into diplomatic relationships. The rhetoric around enforcement, coupled with real-world consequences for families, raises tough questions about due process, transparency, and humane treatment in a policy area that has grown more opaque in recent years.

Highlights

Policy shifts at the border require clearer safeguards for families.