Lawyer Minda Thorward on Sarah Shaw’s release from a Texas detention centre after being held with her young son. Video / Herald NOW
The lawyer of a New Zealand mother who was detained in a Texas immigration facility says she is now at home recovering from her ordeal and “taking time for herself”.
Sarah Shaw and her youngest son, Isaac, 6, were released from the Dilley Immigration Processing Centre in Texas last weekafter being detained while crossing the US border from Canada three weeks ago.
The mother of three, who lives in Washington state with her children, had mistakenly tried to leave and re-enter the United States without both parts of her visa approved.
Lawyer Minda Thorward told the Herald that Shaw was incredibly relieved and grateful to be out of detention.
Mother of three Sarah Shaw is said to be relieved to be out of detention. Photo / Supplied
She described the conditions Shaw and her son would have endured during their detainment.
“[They] are overcrowded, there is limited access to medical care, limited access to counsel and the food is horrendous,” she said.
“You are basically locked in a room for a lot of the day. There is nowhere for kids to go outside. There is nothing to do, so they are just really bored.”
Sarah Shaw's lawyer Minda Thorward says the conditions in detention centres are "worse than jail".
Thorward described detention centres as “worse than jail”.
“The services are worse, there is less oversight and due processes and protection don’t necessarily apply to detention centres,” she said.
“It’s difficult to talk to anyone. You can call, but it’s always very garbled to so it’s very difficult to communicate with anyone in detention.
“It’s South Texas so it would have been really hot. It was a really terrible experience for her.”
The Dilley Immigration Processing Centre first opened in December 2014 and can hold up to 2400 people.
It made headlines this year over alleged inhumane conditions.
The Los Angeles Times reported there was concern over water quantity and quality, with some adults reportedly fighting children for clean water at the facility.
