A Canadian mother and daughter were released from custody Thursday after posting a $9,500 US bond, following more than two weeks detained at an immigration facility in Texas.
Detained at Border Checkpoint
Tania Warner said she and her seven-year-old daughter, Ayla, were taken into custody on March 14 at a state border patrol checkpoint in Sarita, Texas, while returning home from a baby shower. Warner maintains she and Ayla have been living in the United States legally for the last five years, after moving to Texas to be with her husband, Edward Warner, a U.S. citizen.
At a bond hearing on Tuesday, Warner’s immigration lawyer argued that she had filed all necessary documents and received approval from the federal government to extend her stay in the United States. The judge ruled she and Ayla were not a flight risk, but Warner was fitted with an ankle monitor before being released.
Warner, originally from Penticton, B.C., said she was in the process of obtaining a green card, which required thousands of dollars and a criminal record check. Her husband provided copies of her work visa documents to CBC News.
After their initial detention in McAllen, Texas, Warner and Ayla were transferred five days later to a family detention centre in Dilley, Texas. Warner described the conditions in the facilities as appalling and expressed concern for other families she met who had also followed proper procedures to live in the U.S.
They now face several hearings to determine their eligibility to remain in the U.S. or if they will be deported.
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