Overview
- Tania Warner and her daughter Ayla Lucas were taken into U.S. immigration custody at the Sarita, Texas, checkpoint while returning from a baby shower, according to her husband.
- They were initially held at the Rio Grande Valley Central Processing Center in McAllen and, as of Friday, have been transferred to the family detention facility in Dilley.
- The husband says agents cited an issue with Warner’s Employment Authorization Document number and required fingerprinting that was sent to Washington for verification.
- Family members report poor detention conditions and say the seven-year-old, who is autistic, is highly stressed, and they add the pair were offered the option to self-deport.
- U.S. authorities have not provided a public explanation or comment; the husband has retained an attorney and launched a fundraising effort, and Global Affairs Canada says it is assisting within its limited consular role.