A Canadian woman and her seven-year-old daughter with autism, detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for nearly a week, have transferred to a controversial detention center and received an offer to “self-deport,” their husband and father reports. The pair, Tania Warner and Ayla Luca from British Columbia, face significant distress from the ordeal.
Family Background and Initial Stop
Tania Warner relocated to the U.S. five years ago after marrying U.S. citizen Edward Warner. The family resides in Kingsville, Texas. On March 14, authorities stopped them at a Border Patrol checkpoint in Sarita while driving home from a baby shower in Raymondville.
Edward Warner reports limited contact with his wife via brief phone calls, often just minutes long. “She says she’s traumatized … They’re not good,” he states. Tania whispers during calls to avoid overhearing by officials. Warner quotes her describing Border Patrol agents harshly and notes Ayla developed a rash in detention.
Detention Conditions and Transfer
Initially held at the Rio Grande Valley Central Processing Center in McAllen, Texas, where they slept on the floor, the pair moved early Friday to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in south Texas. There, they now have mattresses, Warner says.
Dilley, which opened under former President Barack Obama, closed during Joe Biden’s presidency, and reopened in early 2025 for family detentions. Critics, including lawyers and human rights advocates, highlight inhumane conditions such as disease outbreaks, lack of clean water, and inadequate medical care.
Legal Status and Self-Deportation Offer
Warner insists the detention is unlawful, as Tania’s paperwork, including a work permit and Social Security card, remains valid until 2030. Tania’s cousin, Amber Sinclair, echoes this: “She has a Social Security card. She has a functional visa. That’s good until 2030, so I don’t understand why they’re stopping her and detaining her.”
Officials offered Tania release if she agrees to self-deport to Canada. “We don’t want that at all,” Warner says. “They are my family.” The family seeks funds for legal assistance.
Official Responses and Support
Democratic Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, representing Texas’s 34th district, states his office works for their release. “Tania has a work permit and is part of the fabric of our Kingsville community; she nor her daughter Ayla, a 7-year-old with autism, should be in detention,” he says. “We must bring them home and reunite yet another family being ripped apart by this Administration’s rogue immigration enforcement operations.”
Global Affairs Canada confirms awareness of multiple similar cases. A spokesperson notes: “Consular officials advocate for Canadian citizens abroad and raise concerns about justified and serious complaints of ill-treatment or discrimination with the local authorities but cannot exempt Canadians from local legal processes.” Privacy limits further details.
An ICE spokesperson requested more information to locate the pair but had not responded at publication time.
Expert Insights on ICE Practices
Ottawa-based immigration lawyer Heather Neufeld, experienced with ICE cases, urges Canada to push for release, likely requiring return to Canada. She highlights prolonged detentions: “There are people who have spent a year, two years, in ICE detention, rather than deporting them quickly.” Detainees often transfer multiple times. “Getting people out has been incredibly difficult right now … in a lot of cases, the only way to get someone potentially out … is in federal courts – so nothing quick,” she adds.
