New Zealand Mother and Son Freed After Three Weeks in Dilley Detention

(SOUTH TEXAS) A New Zealand mother, Sarah Shaw, and her six-year-old son, Isaac, were released from U.S. custody after spending more than three weeks at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas. They were detained July 24, 2025, after trying to re-enter the United States 🇺🇸 from Canada 🇨🇦, when a visa paperwork issue surfaced at the border.

Shaw—who has lived legally in Washington state for over three years—said she believed her status was in order because she held a “combo card” with work authorization. But officials told her that while the employment part was approved, her <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/i-360">Form I-360</a> petition remained pending. She was released around August 15–16, 2025 after legal efforts, public pressure, and diplomatic outreach.

Arrest and Immediate Aftermath

Shaw’s friends and supporters describe the arrest as sudden and frightening. According to friend Victoria Besancon, officers bundled Shaw and her son into an unmarked white van, took her phone, and moved them far from their home.

Supporters and advocates called the detention unnecessary and cruel, noting:
– The family had no criminal history.
– They argued the family should have been granted humanitarian parole rather than detained.
– Shaw’s advocate emphasized the emotional toll on both mother and child.

Detention Conditions at Dilley

Inside Dilley, Shaw and Isaac stayed in shared rooms with restricted freedoms:
– Doors were locked from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
– Detainees were not allowed to wear their own clothes.
– Shaw and Isaac felt isolated as English speakers among mostly Spanish-speaking families.

Shaw compared the setting to a prison. In 2025 reports, the facility is described as the largest family detention center in the country with room for up to 2,400 people, and it has drawn complaints for:
– Cramped living spaces
– Limited personal belongings
– Strained access to medical and legal care

Lawyers and advocates also noted tighter rules on access, which they say reduce outside oversight.

Public and legal pressure played a major role in the release: a GoFundMe raised over US $53,000, unions and labor allies urged her release, and New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed consular contact.

Shaw’s father, Rod Price, said he was 90% confident his daughter and grandson would be freed soon. After weeks in Dilley, a flight back to Washington state was booked following their release.

Legal Issue: Form I-360 and the “Combo Card”

The key legal issue in the case was Shaw’s pending Form I-360. Important points:
– Form I-360 is used by various petitioners, including survivors of domestic violence seeking relief under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
– Shaw’s work authorization portion (the combo card’s employment approval) was recognized, but the underlying petition remained pending and reportedly triggered border questions.

For official filing categories and evidence requirements, readers can review details at https://www.uscis.gov/i-360.

Supporters say Shaw did not know the petition was still under review when she drove to Vancouver to drop two older children for flights to New Zealand and then attempted to return.

ICE has not publicly detailed why detention was chosen. The agency’s general enforcement and custody practices are available at https://www.ice.gov. Shaw’s lawyer maintains the agency could have released the family on humanitarian grounds while the paperwork was sorted.

Policy Context and Broader Impact

Shaw’s case arrives amid a broader shift in family detention policy:
– Family detention at Dilley and Karnes was ended under President Biden, then resumed in March 2025 under President Trump and is now operated by a private contractor.
– Congress increased detention funding in the 2025 federal budget, raising concerns among advocates about expansion without strong oversight.

Notable legislative and cost changes in 2025:
– A House-passed bill, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” would allow indefinite detention of families and override protections in the long-standing Flores Settlement Agreement. The bill is pending in the Senate.
– New fees introduced in 2025 have raised barriers:
– $100 for asylum
– $550 for Temporary Protected Status
– $900 for certain appeals

Advocates say these fees, combined with detention expansion, make it much harder for low-income families seeking legal protection.

Oversight, Health, and Legal Access

Advocates report several concerning trends:
– New limits on attorney and monitor access to facilities.
– Certain DHS oversight offices were eliminated in 2025, reducing independent checks on detention practices.
– Medical and child welfare groups have raised alarms about the health effects of detention on children, urging independent pediatric monitoring.

Legal aid groups argue many families present no public safety risk and could be managed through release and regular check-ins rather than detention.

Practical Lessons and Recommendations

Analysis by VisaVerge.com and lawyers highlight how administrative issues can upend lives:
– A combo card can give a sense of stability, but if a linked petition (like Form I-360) remains pending, border officers may question a traveler’s ability to return after travel abroad.
– For families, this can mean sudden separation, lost work, and significant stress for children—especially in locked settings far from home.

Practical steps lawyers recommend to reduce border risk:
1. Carry printed approval notices.
2. Keep copies of any pending receipts.
3. Avoid international travel until all parts of your case are fully approved and documented.
4. Seek immediate legal help and community support if an issue arises.
5. Write down important phone numbers, since phones can be taken during processing.

Community Role and Outcome

Shaw’s story underscores the power of community pressure:
– Fundraising covered legal help and living costs.
– Union backing and media attention kept the case visible.
– Diplomatic contact from New Zealand added pressure.

Together, these actions likely helped speed the outcome. As for Sarah Shaw and Isaac: they are out of Dilley and heading back to their life in Washington, but the experience will have lasting effects.

Key takeaway: Even when immigrants believe their papers are in order, a pending petition like Form I-360 can trigger border questioning that leads to detention. In a system under intense political debate, families can pay a heavy price for paperwork that is still moving through federal review.