Mother takes Ambassador Bridge by mistake, now faces deportation from the U.S.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - You might have fallen victim to it, accidentally merging into the toll area that goes right onto the Ambassador Bridge, to Canada. For one woman, that simple wrong turn could all end with her getting deported. 

What they're saying:

A mom, who’s here illegally, was detained for six days, her two young children for five, after they accidentally got onto the Ambassador Bridge.

Ruby Robinson is the immigration attorney representing "Sarahi" as she faces deportation to Guatemala. 

She has no criminal record and has been in the U.S. for six years.

Her two children, a 1-year-old and a 5-year-old daughter, are U.S. citizens. In March the family put in the wrong Costco location into their GPS, and accidentally getting onto the Ambassador Bridge to go to the one in Windsor.

Upon return, they were detained by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in an office building at the foot of the bridge. Agents asked if she wanted to release her kids to family on day one. 

She refused.

"She was told she was going to be deported with her children, and she didn’t want to be separated from her children," Robinson told FOX 2.

"Sarahi" told her attorney the family was kept in a windowless room with a TV and games, given Ramen or oatmeal to eat.

"The only time they saw the sun was after a few days; there was a skylight in the hallway, and the child said, 'Mommy, look, there’s the sun,'" said Robinson.

Robinson says the children were getting sick, one with a fever, and after five days, they were released to family. "Sarahi" was released a day later. He later says she was never given access to an attorney at the bridge.

Big picture view:

In the immigration space, illegal immigrants have a right to counsel, but the government isn’t required to provide it. Attorney Robinson says before Jan. 20, under the same circumstances at the bridge, families would not be detained like this.

"What we are seeing is extended stays in spaces that are not designed for extended stays," he said.

This is the statement from CBP:

"When individuals violate immigration laws, their choices make them subject to detention and removal. In this case, an illegal alien was encountered at the Detroit Ambassador Bridge after driving into Canada without travel documents. She admitted to unlawfully entering the U.S. in 2018. Per policy, CBP worked to find a suitable guardian for her U.S. citizen children; however, she initially chose to keep them with her, prolonging the detention period. Once the children were placed with a guardian, she was transferred to ICE."

What's next:

That mom is facing deportation. She was given a summons to appear in court for her hearing next month.