At the U.S.-Canada border in Ontario, countless vehicles and pedestrians cross back and forth every day. For most people, this is just an ordinary commute or trip; but for others, a wrong turn or a navigation error could completely change their fate. Shopping Trip Turns Into Family Nightmare: Mother Takes Kids to Costco by Mistake, Ends Up Detained for 5 Days + Faces Deportation! Immigrant mother Sarahi's routine Costco shopping trip eventually turned into a nightmare at the U.S.-Canada border. According to NPR reports, Detroit resident Sarahi and her family mistakenly entered the U.S.-Canada border due to a navigation error, were detained by law enforcement for nearly a week, and will face deportation proceedings in immigration court in June. [Image source: blogTO] On the afternoon of March 8th, Sarahi, along with her one-year-old daughter, five-year-old daughter, and 19-year-old brother, went to the local Costco for shopping and dining, unaware that the GPS had incorrectly directed them to a Costco store in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. This Guatemalan immigrant family only realized their mistake when they were intercepted at the border. Border enforcement officers separated Sarahi from her brother and informed them they would be deported. Although her two American daughters were allowed to return to the United States, Sarahi refused the "proposal to abandon her children" and was forced to sign documents acknowledging illegal entry. Subsequently, the family was held in a detention center with poor conditions and no windows. There were also 12 other families being held in the same building. Sarahi recalled: "We slept on simple beds, each meal consisted of instant noodles, macaroni, oatmeal, etc., which were microwaved. We were only allowed to leave the room to use the restroom and shower." What was even more distressing was that her younger daughter developed a high fever during detention, and she was told there was no medication available. Soon after, her older daughter began coughing. Border officials repeatedly advised her to take her daughters back to Guatemala, but she refused. After five days of torment, her two daughters were released into the care of her aunt. The next day, when Sarahi was released, she accidentally saw her handcuffed brother in the corridor; he had already been deported. [Image source: Google] The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Michigan branch found through field investigations that it is not uncommon for Detroit residents to mistakenly enter the Canadian border bridge. A recent example is that a Venezuelan man (legally residing in the U.S.) mistakenly entered the Ambassador Bridge into Canada while delivering McDonald's food in January this year and was detained and deported back to El Salvador when attempting to return to the U.S. Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib stated that the data she obtained from CBP shows that from January to March 2025, the Ambassador Bridge border has detained more than 210 people, 90% of whom were purely accidental entries. One detainee even attempted suicide at the detention center. "We don't know what exactly happened, there is a lack of transparency," Tlaib said. Reference reading: "Attention! Five countries including Canada issue warnings for traveling to the U.S.! Several people were detained upon entry! Someone was immediately deported due to a text message!" "Canadian visit turns into a 'nightmare'! An American couple was 'arbitrarily' detained and interrogated at the border! Crying until tears flowed!" [Image source: eawaz.com] "Family Separation": A family of four denied entry into Canada, Immediate Deportation + Detention for 2 Weeks! One cold morning in March, Salvadoran immigrant Aracely and her live-in husband, along with their two daughters (aged 4 and 14), crossed the "Rainbow Bridge" to Canada seeking asylum, trying to escape the tough immigration policies under the Trump administration. "We lived in fear," Aracely said. She and her husband had been living illegally in the U.S. for years. On March 17th, Aracely carried a yellow envelope containing the key to open the door to Canada for her and her family - a birth certificate used to prove her relationship with a Canadian citizen (her brother). That was the first time they saw Niagara Falls. They took pictures of the mist reflecting the sunrise with their phones, feeling happiness and hope, believing this was the start of a new life. However, reality was cruel. When they submitted their documents at the Canadian port of entry in Ontario, Niagara Falls, CBSA officials rejected their entry request due to a "minor discrepancy" in the documents - the father's surname was inconsistent between the siblings' birth certificates; the mother's surname was consistent but the name slightly different. Although she immediately offered to contact her brother in Canada for verification, the CBSA officials insisted on deporting them. [Image source: 51 reporter] [Image source: 51 reporter] Subsequently, they were sent back to the U.S. and detained in a holding cell with small beds, sofas, and televisions. They needed to knock on the door to request permission to use the restroom. Aracely said they stayed there for three days before being transferred to a windowless cell with four small beds and a toilet. Aracely recalled that the days in the detention center were long and unbearable. They ate microwaved frozen chicken sandwiches, sometimes the meat was still icy in the middle, so they could only eat the edges. Drinking water came from kettles or sinks, and bathing could only be done using a "camping-style shower bag", with each person only allowed one bag of water. She said that during the two-week imprisonment, they were only allowed to leave the detention room three times to briefly move around in a corridor with windows. "We often cried after putting the kids to sleep," Aracely recalled. With the efforts of relatives and lawyers, on March 28th, Aracely's family was allowed to try entering again, but hope was shattered once more as CBSA still did not believe the authenticity of their documents. "They told us we must be immediately deported back to the U.S. and said they had been 'merciful' by giving us a second chance," Aracely said. They returned to the detention cells at the New York State Niagara Falls port of entry. On April 1st, Aracely's husband was transferred to the Batavia immigration detention center, awaiting the deportation hearing in May. After a 3-minute farewell, they were separated. The mother and her two daughters were placed in a shelter in Buffalo, New York, and reported weekly to the immigration department, waiting for the hearing on Christmas Eve. "We fled El Salvador, then escaped from the unknown in the U.S. to Canada," she said, "but now we are being forcibly separated because border officials do not believe us. This is extremely unfair." [Image source: CP Photo/Chris Young] Arbitrary and Cruelty: A New Trend at the Canadian Border! The handling of Aracely's family by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the actions of U.S. border enforcement agents have once again raised questions about the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between the U.S. and Canada. According to this agreement, refugee applications must be submitted in the first country reached. Therefore, Canada refuses most asylum seekers attempting to enter from the U.S. through land border ports, but there are exceptions to this rule. One exception is if the applicant's anchor relative is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or has already been granted refugee status, then the applicant can seek asylum. Heather Neufeld, the lawyer representing the family in Ottawa, angrily pointed out: "CBSA officials could have called Aracely's brother to verify the family relationship, but chose to nitpick the documents... Even toddlers in diapers were detained. This arbitrariness and cruelty are increasing." Jennifer Connor, executive director of the Buffalo-based migrant aid organization Justice for Migrant Families, said that detaining children and families for several days or weeks rarely occurred at the U.S.-Canada border, but is now becoming a "new trend." On April 23rd, the ACLU and U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib jointly urged CBP to enhance accountability and transparency regarding detention incidents at the U.S.-Canada border. "Our neighbors and families should not 'disappear' just because of a wrong turn. This is extremely cruel and inhumane. We cannot let the nation lose its conscience, we cannot stand idly by and watch this happen." However, facing these "sympathetic" voices, many Canadian netizens responded sharply: "Good job, CBSA! We don't welcome such entrants!" [Image source: various sources] What do you think? Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7497379289797558836/ Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views. Please express your attitude by clicking the 'Like/Dislike' buttons below.