A New Zealand woman who is being held at a US immigration centre with her six-year-old son after they were detained crossing the Canada-US border, is being wrongly “treated like a criminal”, according to her friend and advocate.
Sarah Shaw, 33, a New Zealander who has lived in Washington state for just over three years, dropped her two eldest children to Vancouver airport on 24 July, so they could take a direct flight back to New Zealand for a holiday with their grandparents.
When Shaw attempted to re-enter the US, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detained her and her youngest son, in what was a “terrifying” ordeal, said Victoria Besancon, Shaw’s friend who is helping to raise money for her legal fight.
“Sarah thought she was being kidnapped,” she said. “They didn’t really explain anything to her at first, they just kind of quietly took her and her son and immediately put them in like an unmarked white van.”
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They were kidnapped. No read of rights, no ability to contact a lawyer, no recourse.
Exactly this is straight up the definition of kidnapping, but also worse. At least sometimes kiddnapers ask for a ransom. They straight up kidnapping people and putting them in cages for straight up cruelty.
Also we have right to fight back against actual kidnnapers. Apparently we can’t with ICE. We need to start sending this mask men to the morge or at least fucking hospital. Then maybe they will think twice before taking people.
Never travel to the United States, for your own personal safety.
Fuck the Trump regime.
Shaw is on what is known as a “combo card” visa – an employment visa, which she obtained through her employment at a maximum security juvenile facility, and an I-360 visa, which can grant immigration status to domestic violence survivors.
Shaw had recently received a letter confirming her visa renewal, not realising that the I-360 element of her visa was still pending approval.
“It wasn’t until she tried to come back across the border that she realised only half of the combination card – because it’s only one physical card – had been fully approved,” said Besancon.
at least they let them stay together instead of just putting the kid in a cage and sending the woman to el salvador.
