Canadian Mother and Daughter with Autism 'Traumatised' by ICE Detainment in Texas
A Canadian woman and her seven-year-old daughter, who has autism, have been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for nearly a week, according to her husband, Edward Warner. The pair, Tania Warner and Ayla Lucas, were transferred to a notorious Texas detention centre and instructed to 'self-deport', an experience described as deeply traumatic.
Family Detained at Border Patrol Checkpoint
Tania Warner and Ayla Lucas, originally from British Columbia, moved to the United States five years ago when Tania married Edward Warner, a US citizen. The family resides in Kingsville, Texas. On 14 March, while driving home from a baby shower in Raymondville, they were stopped at a border patrol checkpoint in Sarita. Since then, Edward Warner has reported only brief telephone calls with his wife, often lasting mere minutes, during which she whispered to avoid being overheard by officials.
Edward Warner expressed his distress, stating, 'She says she's traumatised ... They're not good.' He added that Ayla developed a rash during her time in detention, and Tania was told she could be released if she agreed to 'self-deport' to Canada. 'We don't want that at all,' he said. 'They are my family.'
Legal Status and Community Support
The family insists the detention is unlawful, as Tania's paperwork to live and work in the US is valid until 2030. Her cousin, Amber Sinclair, confirmed, 'She has a social security card. She has a functional visa. That's good until 2030, so I don't understand why they're stopping her and detaining her.' The family is now scrambling to raise funds for legal assistance.
Vicente Gonzalez, a Democratic congressman for Texas's 34th congressional district, issued a statement advocating for their release. 'Tania has a work permit and is part of the fabric of our Kingsville community; she nor her daughter Ayla, a 7-year-old with autism, should be in detention,' he said. 'We must bring them home and reunite yet another family being ripped apart by this Administration's rogue immigration enforcement operations.'
Transfer to Notorious Detention Centre
Initially held at the Rio Grande Valley Central processing centre in McAllen, Texas, Warner and Ayla were moved early on Friday to the Dilley immigration processing centre in south Texas. Dilley, originally opened under Barack Obama and reopened in early 2025 to hold detained families, has faced severe criticism from lawyers, human rights advocates, and detainees for inhumane conditions, including disease outbreaks, lack of clean drinking water, and poor medical care.
Edward Warner noted that since the move to Dilley, they at least have mattresses to sleep on, whereas at Rio Grande they were sleeping on the floor.
International and Legal Responses
Global Affairs Canada acknowledged awareness of multiple cases of Canadians in immigration-related detention in the US. A spokesperson stated, 'Consular officials advocate for Canadian citizens abroad and raise concerns about justified and serious complaints of ill-treatment or discrimination with the local authorities but cannot exempt Canadians from local legal processes.' Due to privacy concerns, no further details were disclosed.
When questioned about the detention, an ICE spokesperson requested more information to locate the pair accurately. The Guardian provided this information, but ICE had not responded by the time of publication.
Heather Neufeld, an Ottawa-based immigration lawyer with experience in ICE detainee cases, emphasised that Canada should do everything possible to secure their release, likely involving agreeing to take them back. She highlighted that ICE often detains people for prolonged periods instead of deporting them quickly, with some individuals held for years and moved between centres dozens of times. 'Getting people out has been incredibly difficult right now ... in a lot of cases, the only way to get someone potentially out ... is in federal courts – so nothing quick,' she said.
