A Canadian woman and her seven-year-old daughter, who were detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for nearly three weeks, have been released after posting a $9,500 bond. Tania Warner and her daughter Ayla Luca, who has autism, were held in a Texas detention centre before a judge deemed them not a flight risk.
Warner, originally from British Columbia, moved to the US in 2021 after marrying Edward Warner, a US citizen. The family lives in Kingsville, Texas. They were stopped at a checkpoint in Sarita on 14 March while driving home from a baby shower. ICE agents took them for fingerprinting and never returned them.
While detained, Warner described conditions as “horrific”. At the Rio Grande Valley processing centre, detainees slept on mats with lights on 24 hours a day. After being moved to the Dilley facility, they had mattresses but no privacy, and Warner said agents pressured her to “self-deport”.
Warner’s husband provided a copy of her employment authorisation card, valid until June 2030, but ICE claimed she overstayed her visa. The family maintains all paperwork is up-to-date. Warner now wears an ankle monitor and faces hearings to determine if she can stay in the US.
Global Affairs Canada said it was aware of multiple cases of Canadians in US immigration detention but could not disclose further details due to privacy. ICE did not respond to requests for comment.
