The family of a New Zealand woman and her 6-year-old son say they are hoping for their release by the end of the week after they were detained last month by U.S. immigration authorities over what her attorney said was an “administrative error.”
The woman, Sarah Shaw, and her son Isaac were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 24 after attempting to re-enter the country from Canada. Shaw, a mother of three who lives in Everett, Washington, was returning from dropping her two older children at the airport in Vancouver for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand when she and her youngest son were stopped at the border.
Shaw, who moved to the U.S. more than three years ago under sponsorship from her husband at the time, is now applying for legal permanent residency independently under a provision for survivors of domestic abuse. In the meantime, she has a temporary immigration document known as a “combo card” that authorizes employment, as well as international travel.
Her lawyer, Minda Thorward, told NBC News affiliate KING in Seattle that Shaw’s detention stemmed from an “administrative error.” While her work authorization had recently been renewed, the travel portion of her “combo card” was still awaiting approval.
Though Shaw’s son had a valid travel document, he was detained as well, and the two of them were sent to an immigration detention facility in Texas, one of only two in the country that can accommodate families.
Thorward said that it was “unconscionable” for Shaw’s son to be detained and that immigration authorities had the discretion to parole her into the U.S. “With everything this administration has done, they’ve chosen cruelty intentionally — over and over,” she said.
The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. Embassy in New Zealand and ICE did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment outside of business hours.
Shaw’s father, Rod Price, told New Zealand broadcaster RNZ there was a “90% chance” that they would be released by tonight, which in New Zealand would be tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise, Shaw is set to appear before a judge later this month.
Shaw works for the state of Washington counseling youth at a juvenile rehabilitation facility. Price said her two older children were staying with him in New Zealand until she was released.