Wrong turns onto Ambassador Bridge account for more than 90% of detainments along Detroit-Windsor border with Canada, Rep. Tlaib claims
Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib said Thursday that more than 90% of those detained along the Detroit-Windsor border with Canada were taken into custody after making wrong turns onto the Ambassador Bridge, and called for more steps to be taken to prevent "this innocent mistake" from spiraling into larger consequences.
On Thursday, the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, the ACLU and Tlaib, a Democrat, spoke on the detentions and alleged disappearance of immigrants in custody at the U.S.-Canada border.
Tlaib, whose district includes Detroit, said she visited the facility at the border in March when CBP officials told her that about 213 people had been detained since January, and more than 90% of those people mistakenly drove onto the bridge.
"We don't know what exactly is happening. There's a lack of transparency. I was pleased that they allowed us to come in such short notice when I did give them notice. But, again, we need to find out what is the plan. How do we make sure that people's rights are not being violated?" she said.
The press conference came after a Venezuelan man in Detroit was deported to El Salvador earlier this year after he made a wrong turn onto the Ambassador Bridge. His detention prompted Michigan leaders, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, to call on transparency from federal agents.
According to the New York Times, which first reported on the incident, Ricardo Prada Vásquez was detained on Jan. 15 while attempting to reenter the U.S. at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. He was taken into custody by U.S. authorities.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed on social media that Vasquez was sent to El Salvador on March 15 and denied the Times' report that he did not appear on the list of people sent to a prison there.
The department claims that Vasquez was a member of a criminal organization called Tren de Aragua, who entered the United States at the Brownsville, Texas, Port of Entry on Nov. 29, 2024.
"A wrong turn should not lead to a disappearance and an erosion of someone's due process or being treated with human rights," said Tlaib. "For years, we've been saying it is too easy for people to accidentally end up in the toll plaza. We've had to lobby for more signage and warnings. It's in the backyard of a community that has 20 different ethnicities ... People are still making this innocent mistake that now has the possibility to destroy their lives."
In March, an undocumented mother, Sarahi, from Guatemala, was detained by CBP officers after she too accidentally turned onto the Ambassador Bridge. The woman's attorney, Ruby Robinson of the Michigan Immigration Rights Center, said she doesn't have legal status. She was immediately detained when she and her two daughters reached the security checkpoint.
While Sarahi is undocumented, her two girls, ages 1 and 5, are U.S. citizens.
"Sadly, our client's story fits a pattern of concerns we are hearing anecdotally in regard to CBP short-term detention spaces being used for prolonged detention," Robinson said on Thursday. "CBP is an intercepting agency whose facilities are not designed for extended detention. But under this administration, prolonged detention with CBP is becoming increasingly more commonplace, and I have no doubt that CBP staff are doing their best under the circumstances to provide the best care for the people in their custody.
"We think there are more individuals, like Sarahi, affected, and their stories are untold."
A CBP spokesperson issued the following statement Thursday:
CBP is aware of instances where individuals, including illegal aliens, have made unintended entries into Canada from Michigan ports of entry, or attempted to re-enter the United States without proper documentation. All individuals seeking to enter the United States at a port of entry are subject to inspection by CBP officers for compliance with immigration, customs, and agriculture regulations as a matter of routine procedure.
CBP officers determine a traveler's admissibility based on the inspection process, which includes a review of the travel documents presented. If an alien cannot provide valid documentation or establish a lawful basis to enter or remain in the United States, they may be deemed inadmissible under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and subject to removal proceedings following due process.
Republican lawmakers, like U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, defended the new detention policies, sending a statement to CBS News Detroit that says, "Laken Riley and Rachel Morin aren't able to call their family members or lawyers to tell them where they are because they are dead."
"Those who come here illegally should think twice before coming and not expect the red carpet to be rolled out upon arrival," McClain said.
