‘The war is not over': Sarah Shaw and her six-year-old son released from US detention centre
The mum and son were detained during a routine border crossing from Canada to the US on July 24.
It quickly turned into a nightmare when the pair were refused release. Their concerned loved ones described the incident as 'abuse and federal kidnapping', pleading for their safe return in the weeks since.
Ms Shaw's friend Victoria Besancon, who set up a GoFundMe for them that has raised over $90,000, shared the good news via the page on Sunday morning.
'Thanks for all your support and advocating. Sarah and her son have been released. While her lawyer's words were 'the war is not over' and there are still legal battles to be had, this portion has been won,' Ms Besancon's update read.
'Thank you to everyone who has supported, donated and reached out. We will continue to update the story as it unfolds but they are home safe and sound.'
Ms Shaw and her son were detained by immigration and customs enforcement on July 24 and then transported to the Dilley Immigration Processing Centre in South Texas.
The 33-year-old, who has lived in the US since 2021 and works in juvenile detention, was returning from dropping her two eldest children at the airport in Vancouver, as they were catching a direct flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand.
While trying to return to the US, Ms Shaw was unexpectedly detained because she hadn't realised part of her Visa was still pending.
Ms Shaw is on a 'combo card' visa – a two-in-one card that works as a work visa, and a 1-360 visa, which can grant immigration status to domestic violence survivors.
She had received a letter confirming her visa renewal, but hadn't realised that the 1-360 element of her Visa was still pending approval.
Ms Shaw requested humanitarian parole – an emergency pass into the US – which Ms Besancon argued should have been approved, despite the minor clerical error in her paperwork. Without both elements of the 'combo card', re-entry into the US is not guaranteed.
Ms Besancon slammed the decision not to release the mum immediately.
'Not only was she denied that right, but agents lied to her stating they had already requested it and she was denied. It was later confirmed that was a lie and no parole was filed or requested on her behalf,' she said.
According to US Customs and Border Protection, a person without this documentation may be 'found inadmissable' and therefore deported, 'their applications may be denied and they may face abandonment of their pending application'.
Ms Shaw's father, Rod Price, told Radio New Zealand that his daughter was shocked to be detained and managed to ring him before she 'locked up'.
'She went to go back across into the US and then I got a frantic call to say that she's being detained and 'they're about to take my phone off me' and 'they're locking me up for the night',' he said.
Ms Besancon told news.com.au her friend's experience is proof that the US has 'increasingly aggressive' attitudes towards immigration.
'I would strongly caution anyone outside of America from travelling and crossing borders right now,' she said.
'The state of our country and its attitude towards immigration is becoming increasingly aggressive. Due to our current administration, I personally feel there has been a large emboldening of racist communities within the United States.
'I love my country, but my country was built on immigration. I absolutely support those who want to come to our country to work and establish a life here. That is how America was founded and I believe that's how it should continue.'
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