A Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families employee and her son were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Canadian border and are now being held at an ICE facility in Texas, according to a news release from the Washington Federation of State Employees.
Sarah Shaw and her son were detained at the border after dropping off Shaw's two eldest children at Vancouver International Airport, according to the news release. The two were driving back home to Everett.
A family friend has set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to support Shaw and her son. Shaw and her 6-year-old son were detained on July 24, according to the GoFundMe page.
They are now in South Texas at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, according to the release.
ICE did not immediately respond to inquiries Friday. A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said Friday he could not immediately provide any more information.
Shaw works for the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families and is a member of Local 341. She works at Echo Glen Children’s Center, a medium/maximum security juvenile rehabilitation facility in Snoqualmie.
Department spokesperson Nancy Gutierrez said Shaw's employment eligibility was verified when she was hired.
The union is calling for the immediate release of Shaw and her son, the news release said.
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