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Canadian mother and autistic daughter detained three weeks at Texas checkpoint, later released on bond

Apr 12, 2026·Location: Sarita, TX

Country of origin: Canada

Canadian mother and autistic daughter detained three weeks at Texas checkpoint, later released on bond
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Tania Warner, a 47-year-old Canadian citizen from Penticton, B.C., with a valid U.S. work visa through 2030 and a Social Security number, and her seven-year-old autistic daughter Ayla Lucas were detained at a Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita, Texas, on March 14, 2026, while returning from a baby shower with Warner's American husband Edward. The family, who had lived in Kingsville for five years, was separated from Edward and held at the Ursula Central Processing Center in McAllen, sleeping on the floor of a cold cellblock for five days before being transferred to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center. Warner said guards were "sadistic, inhumane and abusive," taunted her for being Canadian, and pressured her to self-deport, telling her she could do it "the easy way or the hard way." Ayla suffered chemical burns and a stress-related rash from harsh cleaning products, and the family reported inadequate healthcare, food shortages, and insufficient schooling during roughly three weeks in custody. Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee called the detention "extrajudicial," and Congressman Vicente Gonzalez said neither Tania nor Ayla should have been detained. Warner was released on bond of $9,500 on April 2-3, 2026, fitted with an ankle monitor she is contesting in court, and plans to file a lawsuit alleging unlawful detention and harm to her daughter.

Timeline

Apr 12, 2026—Warner fitted with disputed ankle monitor and plans to file lawsuit alleging unlawful detention
Apr 2, 2026—Released on $9,500 bond after roughly three weeks in detention
Mar 14, 2026—Tania Warner and daughter Ayla detained at Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita, Texas
Mar 14, 2026—Held five days at Ursula Central Processing Center in McAllen before transfer to Dilley Immigration Processing Center
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