1755060700 836.jpg

A New Zealand mother and her six-year-old child face a three-week confinement by US Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and recount a harrowing experience.

A New Zealand woman, along with her six-year-old son, is currently detained at a US immigration center after attempting to cross the border from Canada. Her friend and advocate alleges that she is being wrongfully treated as a criminal.

Sarah Shaw, 33, who has been living in Washington state for three and a half years, was initially in Canada to drop off her two older children so they could fly back to New Zealand for a holiday with their grandparents.

Upon her return to the US, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Shaw and her youngest son, causing a “terrifying” experience, as stated by Shaw’s friend Victoria Besancon, who is helping to raise funds for Shaw’s legal fight.

Shaw initially believed she had been kidnapped as the authorities did not clearly explain her situation, and she and her son were quietly taken away and transported to the Dilley immigration processing center in Texas.

Besancon describes the experience as “absolutely horrible, with Shaw and her son being the only English speakers, confined to their shared bedroom every evening, and not allowed to wear their own clothes. It is akin to being in jail and has been emotionally devastating for Shaw.

Shaw is on a “combo card” visa, a combination of an employment visa and an I-360 visa for domestic violence survivors, which she obtained through her job at a maximum-security juvenile facility. Despite having a letter confirming her visa renewal, Shaw was unaware that the I-360 element was still pending approval.

Besancon criticizes the treatment of Shaw and other immigrants by the US, highlighting the emotional and financial strain it has put on them. She points out Shaw’s valuable contributions to American society, providing therapy and counseling to at-risk youth, and also questions the legality of her son’s detention.

Shawn’s case is part of a growing trend of foreigners facing interrogation, detention, and deportation at the US border. The union representing Shaw, the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE), has called for her immediate release.

Mike Yestramski, the union’s president, strongly opposes ICE practices and the immigration policies that permit them, arguing they contradict American values and human rights. New Zealand’s foreign affairs ministry is in contact with Shaw but cannot disclose further due to privacy reasons.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/13/new-zealand-woman-six-year-old-son-ice-detention-us-ntwnfb

Afp 20250813 69eb3g3 v3 highres topshottaiwanweathertyphoon 1755055942.jpg

Taiwan tensions rise as Typhoon Podul strengthens and nears | Storm Update

5978d9b0 77df 11f0 8071 1788c7e8ae0e.jpg

What do the numbers indicate and what level of security do individuals perceive?

Leave a Reply