Tania Warner, a Canadian mother detained for nearly three weeks by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) alongside her seven-year-old daughter, Ayla, has spoken out about the harsh conditions faced by families in detention. Warner and her daughter were held in two facilities in south Texas, where they encountered families from Venezuela, Egypt, El Salvador, Russia and other countries.
Warner described the camaraderie among detainees, who were united by their ordeal despite language barriers. She said most had committed no crime but were caught up in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. “They’re just victims… What the administration is doing is wrong and illegal,” she told the Guardian.
The facilities, including the Dilley detention center, have been criticised for inadequate healthcare and food. A report by Human Rights First and Raices described “pervasive abuses against families and children”, with more than 5,600 people imprisoned at Dilley between April 2025 and February 2026, including toddlers and newborns. Families were detained for months in violation of court limits, pressured to abandon asylum claims, and threatened with separation.
Warner and Ayla were stopped at a border patrol checkpoint in Sarita, Texas, on 14 March while returning from a baby shower. Despite having valid employment authorisation until 2030, they were detained. They were released on 3 April on a $9,500 bond, but Warner must wear an ankle monitor and cannot travel more than 75 miles from home. The US is still seeking to deport them.
Warner said both she and her daughter developed a persistent rash from harsh detergents used on their detention uniforms. She expressed fear of being re-detained when she travels to a bond officer meeting on 16 April, which requires passing another ICE checkpoint. “I’m terrified, I don’t know if they’re going to try to re-detain us,” she said.
