A Canadian mother is facing detention and possible deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after failing to update her immigration status following her divorce from her American husband. Michelle Crichlow, a resident of Baltimore, Maryland, now fears being separated from her seven-year-old daughter.
Background of the Case
Crichlow moved to the United States in 2017 and began building a life with her former husband in Baltimore. They purchased a home and welcomed their daughter. However, according to a GoFundMe page set up by Crichlow to cover legal expenses, the COVID-19 pandemic 'upended' their lives, leading to a divorce in 2022.
'Amid the heartbreak and chaos, my green card expired,' Crichlow wrote on the fundraising page. She failed to update her immigration status, which led to complications when she attempted to return to the U.S. after visiting family in Canada.
Detention at Pearson International Airport
In July of last year, Crichlow traveled to Toronto with her daughter to visit family. After leaving her daughter with cousins, she attempted to fly back to Baltimore via Toronto's Pearson International Airport. There, she was 'red-flagged' due to her expired green card.
'They took my passport, took me to secondary and that’s where I was for 11 hours,' Crichlow told CTV News. Her phone and invalid green card were seized, and she was informed she was under arrest.
Crichlow spent the night in a cell before being handcuffed and transported approximately nine hours south to an ICE detention facility in Northern Virginia. During the process, she was not allowed to contact her family. Agents told her there was a 'new administration, new rules.'
Conditions at the Detention Facility
At the facility, Crichlow was given a tinfoil blanket and military rations. She noted that everyone in the facility spoke Spanish and that she saw a boy who 'was probably 12 years old.' Fellow detainees were friendly but she 'knew those people weren’t leaving.'
Eventually, Crichlow was released but is required to wear an ankle monitor 24/7. She told CTV News that the device causes cuts and blisters, and she feels embarrassed wearing it, fearing what neighbors might think. 'It’s hard to explain when people notice it, especially kids. You know, I don’t want anybody to view me as a bad person, or like I’ve done something wrong or criminal,' she said.
Legal and Emotional Impact
Crichlow acknowledged her responsibility for forgetting to update her green card but noted that under the previous administration, she would have faced a $700 fine rather than detention and deportation. 'Until recently, people in my situation—peaceful, long-term residents with family ties—were rarely detained. But the policies have changed,' she wrote on GoFundMe.
The prospect of separation from her daughter has left Crichlow in tears. 'My daughter is my entire life. I have fought tooth and nail for my child. I’m not giving up. I can’t give up. This is my whole life right here,' she told CTV News.
Custody Concerns
Crichlow explained that she and her ex-husband have joint custody, and due to their legal agreement, she cannot take her daughter if forced to leave. 'That would be considered a violation of custody and could cost me my parental rights,' she wrote. 'If I’m deported, I face the unthinkable: being separated from my little girl.'
The mother described the experience as 'heartbreaking' and said it has 'challenged my faith and changed the way I view America, unfortunately.'
