(EVERETT) A New Zealand citizen living in Everett, Washington, was freed from federal custody Friday after a three-week detention that began when a routine border trip turned into a visa issue. Sarah Shaw, 36, and her six-year-old son, Isaac, were detained by ICE on July 24, 2025, while trying to re-enter the United States 🇺🇸 from Vancouver, Canada 🇨🇦. Her lawyer says officers flagged an expired travel document tied to her pending green card case.
After sustained pressure from Washington state officials, advocates, and widespread media coverage, ICE agreed to release both. As of August 15, 2025, they are expected to return home to Everett this week, according to friends and her attorney.
Background and case details
Shaw originally came to the United States on a spouse petition. The marriage later ended amid claims of domestic abuse. She filed for an adjustment of status in 2022 and received a “combination card”, which acts as both a work permit and a travel document for many applicants while their green card is pending.
The travel portion, known as “advance parole,” lets a person leave and re-enter the country without abandoning the application. Her lawyer said the card expired in May 2025. Shaw applied to renew in March 2025. A receipt notice extended her work authorization, but it did not extend her travel permission.
Believing both parts had been renewed, she made the cross-border trip and was stopped on her way back.
According to her attorney, officers declined to grant “humanitarian parole,” a case-by-case entry often used when someone with strong ties and a pending case needs short-term permission to come back. Instead, officers processed Shaw and Isaac for detention and flew them to a family facility in Texas. The New Zealand embassy has been in touch with Shaw and monitored the case throughout.
Timeline and status
- July 24, 2025: Shaw attempts to re-enter at the land border after taking her older children to Vancouver for a flight to New Zealand. Officers determine her advance parole is expired.
- Border staff refuse humanitarian parole and place Shaw and Isaac in federal custody.
- Both are transferred to the South Texas ICE Processing Center.
- Friends, Washington state officials, and advocacy groups contact ICE and the media, urging release and pointing to her pending case and community ties.
- August 15, 2025: ICE agrees to release Shaw and Isaac. They are expected back in Everett within days while her paperwork moves forward.
Reactions and legal perspective
Shaw’s lawyer described the detention as legally permitted but unnecessary, and called Isaac’s detention inconsistent with the spirit of humanitarian policy. Shaw told supporters she was scared and confused, saying officers did not clearly explain the process or timeline.
Friends in Everett coordinated public pressure, while the New Zealand embassy stayed engaged.
Legal specialists say cases like this are not rare. Many applicants rely on the combo card and assume the renewal process extends both work and travel. In reality, the work permit and travel document are separate. A receipt can let a person keep working while a renewal is pending, but it does not give the same automatic cover for travel.
VisaVerge.com reports that mix-ups over the travel portion of the combo card are one of the most common pitfalls for people with pending adjustments who cross the border for family or work needs.
“A receipt can let a person keep working while a renewal is pending, but it does not give the same automatic cover for travel.”
Policy context and advocacy
Advocates argue that detaining families—especially minors—over document mistakes causes avoidable harm. They point to:
- Limited use of discretion at ports of entry
- Fewer grants of humanitarian parole
- Processing backlogs and unclear notices that increase risk
Lawmakers and policy groups are pushing for clearer government guidance and faster processing for travel renewals, especially for applicants with long-pending cases who have children in U.S. schools and steady jobs. No major policy change had been announced as of August 2025, but scrutiny is building around cases that begin with a simple paperwork lapse and end with a child in custody.
Practical guidance — what to do if you have a combo card
For people in similar situations, three points stand out:
1) Treat the combo card as two parts.
– The work piece comes from Form I-765 (Employment Authorization Document), often extended by a receipt.
– The travel piece comes from Form I-131 (Advance Parole). If the travel part expires, leaving the country can trigger problems at re-entry—even if you can still work.
– Official forms:
– Form I-131: https://www.uscis.gov/i-131
– Form I-765: https://www.uscis.gov/i-765
2) Before any trip, confirm the travel document’s end date in writing.
– If your advance parole is close to expiring, avoid travel until the new document is approved and physically in your possession.
– Even a short family errand across the border can lead to secondary inspection and, in some cases, detention.
3) If you must leave, carry full proof.
– Bring your valid passport.
– Bring your unexpired advance parole card or document.
– Bring your adjustment receipt and copies of any renewal receipts.
– Keep contact information for your lawyer and a childcare plan in case border processing takes hours or overnight.
How public pressure shaped this case
Shaw’s case illustrates how outcomes can change once a case draws public attention. Friends and colleagues called elected officials, who then pressed ICE for a review. Advocacy groups argued that a mother with a long-pending case and steady ties to Everett posed no flight risk. Her lawyer said a short grant of humanitarian parole at the border would have met the law’s goals without sending a child to a detention facility.
Resources and contacts
- ICE Online Detainee Locator: https://locator.ice.gov
- USCIS: 1-800-375-5283
- ICE community lines: 1-888-351-4024
- Regional assistance: Northwest Immigrant Rights Project; American Immigration Lawyers Association
Final takeaways and next steps for Shaw
Shaw now plans to focus on fixing her paperwork while caring for her son at home in Everett. Friends say she remains nervous about future border trips, a common reaction for parents who spend days or weeks separated from loved ones by a procedural mistake.
Her case has become a rallying point for those pressing for clearer government messages about combo cards and stricter limits on family detention in document-related cases.
The core legal point is simple and critical: an unexpired travel document is required for many applicants with pending green cards to re-enter the country. Without it, even a short drive back from Canada can end in a holding cell far from home. For families like the Shaws, a careful check of dates—and a quick talk with a lawyer—can make all the difference.
This Article in a Nutshell
A routine border trip jailed a New Zealand mother and her son after advance parole expired. Misunderstanding combo-card rules triggered detention. Public pressure, state officials and advocacy groups pushed ICE to release them by mid-August 2025. The case highlights travel-document pitfalls for pending green card applicants and calls for clearer USCIS guidance.
