7-year-old arrested by ICE with Canadian mother, stepfather says they have legal status until 2030

Ayla Luca, a seven-year-old Canadian child from British Columbia, was arrested by ICE along with her mother and sent to a notorious detention center in Texas. They were reportedly told they would be released if they deported themselves. Luca, who has autism, came to the United States five years ago after her mother, Tania Warner, married U.S. citizen Edward Warner. Edward said they have legal documents that are valid until 2030. They were traumatized, Warner said, adding that his wife whispered on the phone so officers could not eavesdrop on their conversation. “She said she was traumatized… they were no good. She said the Border Patrol agents were a bunch of assholes,” the husband said, adding that Ella developed a rash while in custody. The family, who live in Kingsville, Texas, were driving home from a baby shower in Raymondville on March 14 when they were stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint in Sarita. Tania’s cousin, Amber Sinclair, told the Guardian that Tania had a social security card and a functional visa. The family is currently raising money to pay for legal help. Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas’ 34th Congressional District said in a statement that his office was working to secure the family’s release. “Tanya has a work permit and is part of our Kingsville community; both she and her 7-year-old autistic daughter Ella should be detained,” he said. “We must bring them home and reunite another family that has been torn apart by this administration’s rogue immigration enforcement operations,” he said.The mother and daughter were initially held at the Rio Grande Valley Central Processing Center in McAllen, Texas, but were transferred to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas early Friday. Dilley is notorious for disease outbreaks, poor medical care, and more. It originally opened during the Obama administration and closed during the Joe Biden administration. It reopened in early 2025 to bring detained families together. Global Affairs Canada, the federal department responsible for consular services and foreign relations, said Thursday it was “aware of multiple cases of Canadians currently or previously detained in the United States for immigration-related matters.”“Consular officers defend Canadian citizens abroad and raise legitimate and serious complaints of abuse or discrimination with local authorities, but cannot exempt Canadians from local legal processes,” a spokesperson said. “Due to privacy concerns, no further information can be disclosed.”