Latest news with #Thorward
Otago Daily Times
an hour ago
- Otago Daily Times
NZ mum and son in 'good spirits' since release
A New Zealand woman detained in a United States immigration facility for weeks with her six-year-old son is recovering at her Washington home after being released, her lawyer says. Sarah Shaw and son Isaac were detained at the Canadian border more than three weeks ago because she mistakenly tried to leave and re-enter the US without both parts of her visa approved. While she was legally able to work in the US and was employed by the state of Washington, the paperwork she needed to travel was pending - something she did not realise at the time. She had dropped her two older children off in Vancouver, Canada to catch a direct flight home to New Zealand. Isaac had all the correct paper work, but was taken with Shaw to the Dilley Immigration Centre in Texas. In the weeks following, Shaw's case got global media attention and the pair were released over the weekend. Shaw's lawyer Minda Thorward told RNZ's Checkpoint programme today that mum and son seemed to be "doing well" since their release and sent her a photograph of the pair together in which they seemed to be "in good spirits". "I talked to Sarah a little bit, but I think she was trying to spend the weekend recovering and recuperating and kind of just laying low, but I'll be talking to her again soon." Being detained was a traumatic experience generally speaking, Thorward said. "It's gonna have some traumatic impact, [that's] especially true for children... in a place like Dilly there's nothing to do... you have limited access to your lawyer, it's hard to talk to family, sort of isolating, a very difficult experience. "I hope it won't have any lingering effects, but you never know with kids... just depends on the specific child, but I hope not." It was unlikely there would be any legal repercussions for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Thorward said. "Unfortunately there's such a broad discretion in terms of what ICE and border control can do at the border. We can't really sue or anything like that, I mean we could sue to get them out of detention..." She hoped Shaw would not be targeted further by ICE. "Because of the continued media attention and broad community support... I'm really hopeful for a positive outcome for her case, but there's so much uncertainty in immigration law right now we just can't predict what's going to happen. "But, I think the fact so many journalists are interested in this case is a really good thing, and I think we should not turn our backs, and we need to continue to shine a light on these abuses of discretion. "I think continuing to allow for the public to see what's happening is what really needs to happen." In terms of why Shaw's case had garnered so much attention from the media and wider public, Thorward said she believed part of it was down to the fact she was a "young, pretty, white, single mum". "I think because she just really was someone who had really tried to do everything right, had checked all the right boxes as far as she knew, I'm not exactly sure but that's my theory." International pressure was what saw Isaac and Shaw released, Thorward believed. "All of the media attention, the New Zealand consulate being involved, it's a very high-profile case and ICE was very under the microscope here and they just caved to that pressure." Thorward said Donald Trump's administration wanted to dramatically expand detention and it was likely those who would feel the worst of it were people of colour and marginalised communities. "I think the people who will be targeted are people of colour and other marginalised communities... they will be a lot more vulnerable to abuse. "I think it's going to be a really dangerous time in the US."
NZ Herald
10 hours ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Kiwi woman Sarah Shaw's lawyer says mum back in US home, taking time for herself
'She's recovering at home and taking some time for herself,' she said. This morning she told Herald NOW that recuperating from the ordeal was the top priority before she addressed the detention publicly. 'She's just trying to pick up the pieces right now.' Thorward volunteered for pro-bono work at Dilley Immigration Processing Centre about nine and a half years ago. She described the conditions Shaw and her son would have endured during their detainment. '[They] are overcrowded, there is limited access to medical care, limited access to counsel and the food is horrendous,' she said. 'You are basically locked in a room for a lot of the day. There is nowhere for kids to go outside. There is nothing to do, so they are just really bored.' Sarah Shaw's lawyer Minda Thorward says the conditions in detention centres are "worse than jail". Thorward described detention centres as 'worse than jail'. 'The services are worse, there is less oversight and due processes and protection don't necessarily apply to detention centres,' she said. 'It's difficult to talk to anyone. You can call, but it's always very garbled to so it's very difficult to communicate with anyone in detention. 'It's South Texas so it would have been really hot. It was a really terrible experience for her.' The Dilley Immigration Processing Centre first opened in December 2014 and can hold up to 2400 people. It made headlines this year over alleged inhumane conditions. The Los Angeles Times reported there was concern over water quantity and quality, with some adults reportedly fighting children for clean water at the facility. Shaw and her son were at the facility for more than three weeks. She was returning from putting her two other children on a flight to New Zealand from Vancouver when they were detained. A GoFundMe page set up by family friend Victoria Besancon said: 'Thanks to all of 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! 'Thank you to everyone who supported, donated and reached out. We will continue to update the story as it unfolds. But they are home safe and sound. 'Please be praying for the next legal steps, and for a peaceful reintroduction to daily life for the Shaw family.' The GoFundMe has so far raised more than US$60,000 ($101,000). David Williams is an Auckland-based Multimedia Journalist who joined the Herald in 2023. He covers breaking news and general topics.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
A New Zealand mother and her 6-year-old son released from US immigration custody after being detained for weeks
A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday. Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn't want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN. But Shaw didn't realize the travel permit that allowed her to exit and re-enter the US had expired. That's when Shaw and her son, whose immigration documents were valid, were taken into custody by CBP. Shaw tried to get a humanitarian parole, which would have allowed her to enter the US and return home, but she was denied, her attorney said. Shaw then asked if her boyfriend or a friend could pick up her son since his documents were up to date, but she was again denied, Thorward said. They were transported to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, roughly 2,000 miles from their home. Shaw's detention is among the latest examples of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, which, despite pledges to focus on violent criminals, has also swept up lawful residents like Shaw. Shaw arrived in the US as a tourist in 2021 and married a citizen that year. Shortly after, the marriage ended, and she filed an I-360 petition in April 2022, her lawyer told CNN. Her application remains under review after multiple delays. Shaw had been living in the US under a 'combo card,' a dual document that serves as both a work permit and travel document. She secured the permit through her job working for Washington state, her lawyer said. When it came time to renew both parts of the combo card, Shaw paid to have the work permit renewed, but didn't renew the travel permit 'because she didn't have any plans for travel at that time and it's expensive,' Thorward said. In June, Shaw received confirmation of her work permit renewal, but mistakenly believed it also extended her travel authorization – a 'minor administrative paperwork error' – according to her lawyer. 'She had completely re-established herself. She had a full-time job, an apartment, adopted a dog, a new boyfriend, and the kids were in school and doing great,' Thorward said. 'She made a mistake, but she has no previous convictions – none. This is a very clean case.' Shaw previously told Thorward the Department of Homeland Security said she may be released on Friday, but Thorward said she hadn't received any direct updates from authorities. CNN has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding Shaw's case. New Zealand's foreign affairs ministry said it was in contact with Shaw but declined to provide further details for privacy reasons. Set to begin a master's program in psychology this month at Northwest University, Shaw was worried about whether she would be released from detention in time, her lawyer said. Thorward said border officials had the discretion to grant Shaw humanitarian parole rather than detaining her. 'It was not necessary, inappropriate and inhumane (to detain Shaw and her son),' Thorward said. 'She's lawfully in the country. She's been doing everything in good faith.' In a statement to CNN, a CBP spokesperson said that individuals with expired parole trying to re-enter the US would be detained in compliance with immigration laws. 'If they are accompanied by a minor, CBP will follow all protocols to keep families together or arrange care with a legal guardian,' a spokesperson said. A facility for migrant families A friend of Shaw's, Victoria Besancon, told CNN Shaw has spent three weeks in a cramped detention facility, feeling 'incredibly isolated.' 'Each room contains 5 to 6 bunk beds, and rooms are locked from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.,' Besancon told CNN, adding that she has been able to phone Shaw daily and recently video chat. Besancon said they were among the few English speakers in the facility. Shaw's son has been 'very sad he lost his summer vacation to being locked in the facility.' Shaw has used commissary funds to buy him ice cream and colored pencils to make him feel at home. 'There's not a lot for kids to do. Maybe some coloring books. There's no time for them to be outside,' Thorward said, adding detainees were left sweltering in the South Texas heat, where summer temperatures can reach up to 97 degrees. The South Texas Family Residential Center, one of the largest of its kind in the US, primarily houses migrant women and children. After closing last year, it reopened in March under an agreement between a private prison operator and ICE, with a capacity to detain up to 2,400 people. Other mothers who have been detained with their children at family migrant facilities have similarly described their experiences as traumatic and said they will have lasting psychological effect on children. ICE says the detention centers are safe. On its website, the agency includes a list of safety and health standards for family residential centers. The Dilley facility is 'retrofitted for families,' an ICE spokesperson said. 'This includes medical, dental, and mental health intake screening' and access to medical care. CNN's Lex Harvey and Todd Symons contributed to this report.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
A New Zealand mother and her 6-year-old son released from US immigration custody after being detained for weeks
A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday. Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn't want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN. But Shaw didn't realize the travel permit that allowed her to exit and re-enter the US had expired. That's when Shaw and her son, whose immigration documents were valid, were taken into custody by CBP. Shaw tried to get a humanitarian parole, which would have allowed her to enter the US and return home, but she was denied, her attorney said. Shaw then asked if her boyfriend or a friend could pick up her son since his documents were up to date, but she was again denied, Thorward said. They were transported to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, roughly 2,000 miles from their home. Shaw's detention is among the latest examples of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, which, despite pledges to focus on violent criminals, has also swept up lawful residents like Shaw. Shaw arrived in the US as a tourist in 2021 and married a citizen that year. Shortly after, the marriage ended, and she filed an I-360 petition in April 2022, her lawyer told CNN. Her application remains under review after multiple delays. Shaw had been living in the US under a 'combo card,' a dual document that serves as both a work permit and travel document. She secured the permit through her job working for Washington state, her lawyer said. When it came time to renew both parts of the combo card, Shaw paid to have the work permit renewed, but didn't renew the travel permit 'because she didn't have any plans for travel at that time and it's expensive,' Thorward said. In June, Shaw received confirmation of her work permit renewal, but mistakenly believed it also extended her travel authorization – a 'minor administrative paperwork error' – according to her lawyer. 'She had completely re-established herself. She had a full-time job, an apartment, adopted a dog, a new boyfriend, and the kids were in school and doing great,' Thorward said. 'She made a mistake, but she has no previous convictions – none. This is a very clean case.' Shaw previously told Thorward the Department of Homeland Security said she may be released on Friday, but Thorward said she hadn't received any direct updates from authorities. CNN has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding Shaw's case. New Zealand's foreign affairs ministry said it was in contact with Shaw but declined to provide further details for privacy reasons. Set to begin a master's program in psychology this month at Northwest University, Shaw was worried about whether she would be released from detention in time, her lawyer said. Thorward said border officials had the discretion to grant Shaw humanitarian parole rather than detaining her. 'It was not necessary, inappropriate and inhumane (to detain Shaw and her son),' Thorward said. 'She's lawfully in the country. She's been doing everything in good faith.' In a statement to CNN, a CBP spokesperson said that individuals with expired parole trying to re-enter the US would be detained in compliance with immigration laws. 'If they are accompanied by a minor, CBP will follow all protocols to keep families together or arrange care with a legal guardian,' a spokesperson said. A facility for migrant families A friend of Shaw's, Victoria Besancon, told CNN Shaw has spent three weeks in a cramped detention facility, feeling 'incredibly isolated.' 'Each room contains 5 to 6 bunk beds, and rooms are locked from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.,' Besancon told CNN, adding that she has been able to phone Shaw daily and recently video chat. Besancon said they were among the few English speakers in the facility. Shaw's son has been 'very sad he lost his summer vacation to being locked in the facility.' Shaw has used commissary funds to buy him ice cream and colored pencils to make him feel at home. 'There's not a lot for kids to do. Maybe some coloring books. There's no time for them to be outside,' Thorward said, adding detainees were left sweltering in the South Texas heat, where summer temperatures can reach up to 97 degrees. The South Texas Family Residential Center, one of the largest of its kind in the US, primarily houses migrant women and children. After closing last year, it reopened in March under an agreement between a private prison operator and ICE, with a capacity to detain up to 2,400 people. Other mothers who have been detained with their children at family migrant facilities have similarly described their experiences as traumatic and said they will have lasting psychological effect on children. ICE says the detention centers are safe. On its website, the agency includes a list of safety and health standards for family residential centers. The Dilley facility is 'retrofitted for families,' an ICE spokesperson said. 'This includes medical, dental, and mental health intake screening' and access to medical care. CNN's Lex Harvey and Todd Symons contributed to this report.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
A New Zealand mother and her 6-year-old son released from US immigration custody after being detained for weeks
A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday. Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn't want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN. But Shaw didn't realize the travel permit that allowed her to exit and re-enter the US had expired. That's when Shaw and her son, whose immigration documents were valid, were taken into custody by CBP. Shaw tried to get a humanitarian parole, which would have allowed her to enter the US and return home, but she was denied, her attorney said. Shaw then asked if her boyfriend or a friend could pick up her son since his documents were up to date, but she was again denied, Thorward said. They were transported to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, roughly 2,000 miles from their home. Shaw's detention is among the latest examples of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, which, despite pledges to focus on violent criminals, has also swept up lawful residents like Shaw. Shaw arrived in the US as a tourist in 2021 and married a citizen that year. Shortly after, the marriage ended, and she filed an I-360 petition in April 2022, her lawyer told CNN. Her application remains under review after multiple delays. Shaw had been living in the US under a 'combo card,' a dual document that serves as both a work permit and travel document. She secured the permit through her job working for Washington state, her lawyer said. When it came time to renew both parts of the combo card, Shaw paid to have the work permit renewed, but didn't renew the travel permit 'because she didn't have any plans for travel at that time and it's expensive,' Thorward said. In June, Shaw received confirmation of her work permit renewal, but mistakenly believed it also extended her travel authorization – a 'minor administrative paperwork error' – according to her lawyer. 'She had completely re-established herself. She had a full-time job, an apartment, adopted a dog, a new boyfriend, and the kids were in school and doing great,' Thorward said. 'She made a mistake, but she has no previous convictions – none. This is a very clean case.' Shaw previously told Thorward the Department of Homeland Security said she may be released on Friday, but Thorward said she hadn't received any direct updates from authorities. CNN has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding Shaw's case. New Zealand's foreign affairs ministry said it was in contact with Shaw but declined to provide further details for privacy reasons. Set to begin a master's program in psychology this month at Northwest University, Shaw was worried about whether she would be released from detention in time, her lawyer said. Thorward said border officials had the discretion to grant Shaw humanitarian parole rather than detaining her. 'It was not necessary, inappropriate and inhumane (to detain Shaw and her son),' Thorward said. 'She's lawfully in the country. She's been doing everything in good faith.' In a statement to CNN, a CBP spokesperson said that individuals with expired parole trying to re-enter the US would be detained in compliance with immigration laws. 'If they are accompanied by a minor, CBP will follow all protocols to keep families together or arrange care with a legal guardian,' a spokesperson said. A facility for migrant families A friend of Shaw's, Victoria Besancon, told CNN Shaw has spent three weeks in a cramped detention facility, feeling 'incredibly isolated.' 'Each room contains 5 to 6 bunk beds, and rooms are locked from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.,' Besancon told CNN, adding that she has been able to phone Shaw daily and recently video chat. Besancon said they were among the few English speakers in the facility. Shaw's son has been 'very sad he lost his summer vacation to being locked in the facility.' Shaw has used commissary funds to buy him ice cream and colored pencils to make him feel at home. 'There's not a lot for kids to do. Maybe some coloring books. There's no time for them to be outside,' Thorward said, adding detainees were left sweltering in the South Texas heat, where summer temperatures can reach up to 97 degrees. The South Texas Family Residential Center, one of the largest of its kind in the US, primarily houses migrant women and children. After closing last year, it reopened in March under an agreement between a private prison operator and ICE, with a capacity to detain up to 2,400 people. Other mothers who have been detained with their children at family migrant facilities have similarly described their experiences as traumatic and said they will have lasting psychological effect on children. ICE says the detention centers are safe. On its website, the agency includes a list of safety and health standards for family residential centers. The Dilley facility is 'retrofitted for families,' an ICE spokesperson said. 'This includes medical, dental, and mental health intake screening' and access to medical care. CNN's Lex Harvey and Todd Symons contributed to this report. Solve the daily Crossword
