Canadian mother and her autistic daughter detained by ICE — 7-year-old daughter traumatized

They were driving home from a baby shower when they were stopped — and now a mother with valid status and her 7-year-old autistic daughter remain in ICE detention.

A Canadian mother with valid legal status and her seven-year-old autistic daughter have been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for nearly a week.

Tania Warner and her daughter Ayla Luca are detained despite having valid legal status.

Tania Warner, originally from British Columbia, moved to the United States five years ago after marrying her husband, Edward Warner, a US citizen. The family has been living in Kingsville, Texas, where they built their life together.

On March 14, while driving home from a baby shower in Raymondville, Warner and her daughter, Ayla Luca, were stopped at a border patrol checkpoint in Sarita. They were taken into custody and have remained detained since.

🎥 In brief phone calls, she describes what’s happening inside as distressing.

According to her husband, communication has been limited to brief phone calls, often lasting only a few minutes. During those calls, Warner has described the experience as deeply distressing.

Ayla at home, holding onto what feels safe — before detention.

“She says she’s traumatized … They’re not good,” he said, adding that she now speaks quietly to avoid being overheard by officials.

Dilley Immigration Processing Center — where a 7-year-old developed a rash while in custody.

While in detention, Ayla developed a rash, raising concerns about the conditions inside the facility. The pair were initially held at the Rio Grande Valley Central Processing Center in McAllen before being transferred to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in south Texas.

Warner said his wife was told she could be released if she agreed to “self-deport” to Canada. The family has refused. “We don’t want that at all,” he said. “They are my family.”

He also maintains that the detention has no legal basis. Warner’s authorization to live and work in the United States is valid through 2030, and family members say she holds a Social Security card and an active visa.

As the situation continues, the family is attempting to raise funds for legal representation to challenge the detention and bring them home.

Vicente Gonzalez, a Democratic congressman representing Texas’s 34th district, said his office is actively working on the case.

Tania Warner with her children — before detention disrupted their lives.

“Tania has a work permit and is part of the fabric of our Kingsville community; neither she nor her daughter Ayla, a 7-year-old with autism, should be in detention,” he said.

Warner and Ayla were initially held at the Rio Grande Valley Central Processing Center in McAllen before being transferred to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in south Texas.

The Dilley facility, reopened in 2025 to detain families, has faced ongoing criticism from attorneys and human rights advocates, who cite concerns including poor medical care, lack of clean drinking water, and reports of disease outbreaks.

This is not a question of paperwork.
It is a decision about who the system chooses to detain.

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This case is ongoing.

A mother with valid status is detained.

A 7-year-old autistic child is inside that system with her.

This case remains under active reporting.

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