A New Zealand woman, Sarah Shaw, 33, and her 6-year-old son are being held at an immigration center in Texas after being stopped at the Canada-US border, an experience her friends describe as "terrifying."
Shaw, who has lived in Washington state for more than three years, was stopped while attempting to return to the U.S. after a visit to her older children in New Zealand .
She and her son were immediately transported to the immigration processing center in Dilley, far from their living center, without clear explanations and without the opportunity to use their own clothes.
Shaw has a “combo card” visa, which is a combination of a work visa and an I-360 visa for victims of domestic violence. According to her friends, border authorities could have used a humanitarian parole, but instead detained her and her son, making the situation emotionally and financially difficult.
Shaw's case is part of a growing list of foreigners facing detentions, investigations and deportations at the U.S. border, despite valid visas.
The union that represents Shaw, the Washington Federation of State Employees, has called for her release, stressing that ICE practices and immigration policy are contrary to American values and human rights.
New Zealand's Foreign Ministry is in contact with Shaw, but has not commented further on the matter due to privacy concerns.