After being turned away and subsequently jailed, a family is making their third

Aracely Serrano and her two daughters spent two weeks in a U.S. detention cell after being turned away by Canada. On Monday morning, shortly after 8:30 a.m., Aracely Serrano arrived in the parking lot adjacent to the U.S. port of entry in Niagara Falls, N.Y. She and her family had recently been held in a windowless detention cell for two weeks.

With a light blue suitcase and a black backpack in tow, Serrano, along with her daughters Madelin, 14, and Itzayana, 4, made their way from a shelter in Buffalo, N.Y., to the parking lot. As they approached the stone walls of the U.S. port of entry, they passed under the watchful gaze of surveillance cameras and navigated through metal turnstiles marked with the sign, "Entry to Canada." "I have hope that this time, it will happen," she expressed, her daughters by her side.

Serrano had felt a similar sense of hope during her last attempt to cross this pedestrian route across the Rainbow Bridge to Canada on March 17, as previously reported by CBC News. She had been accompanied by her partner, Marcos Guardado, and the two girls. Originally from El Salvador, the family had been living undocumented in New Jersey. They decided to risk the journey to seek asylum in Canada to escape the fear instilled by the Trump administration's immigration policies. However, Canadian border officials questioned the authenticity of the documents Serrano provided, which she claimed proved her connection to a Canadian citizen brother, an exception allowing asylum claims under the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) subsequently denied their entry, and the family was returned to the U.S., where they remained detained for two weeks in facilities designed for short-term holds. During their detention, they only saw the outside once — in late March, when they were briefly taken to the Canadian port of entry, only to be turned away again.

They were sent back to a windowless cell. At times, young Itzayana would wake from nightmares. Seeking Assistance While Serrano was detained, her brother, Israel Serrano, reached out for help, including contacting the Canada-U.S. Border Rights Clinic, which offers free legal advice to migrants.

This led them to Heather Neufeld, an experienced immigration lawyer based in Ottawa. Neufeld filed a legal challenge in the Federal Court of Canada to contest the CBSA's denial of the family's asylum claim. Recently, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada permitted Serrano to enter Canada and file her claim. "I believe the government has finally recognized it made mistakes," Neufeld said, accompanying Serrano on her third attempt to cross the bridge.

"Our lives are about to change forever, for my daughters," Serrano said as she approached the lines marking the international border through the river below. "We don't have to live in fear any longer." However, risks still loomed. Upon arriving at the Canadian port of entry, Serrano faced further questioning from the CBSA as her case underwent closer scrutiny. Neufeld expressed concern as the process continued. "There has been intense questioning and investigation," Neufeld mentioned in a phone interview with CBC News while at the Canadian customs building. At about 3 p.m. ET, roughly six hours after she entered customs, Serrano received the news that she and her daughters could remain in Canada to pursue their asylum claim. "I am incredibly relieved; it was extremely stressful not knowing what would happen," Neufeld remarked. Outside, amidst the stunning backdrop of Niagara Falls, her brothers Israel and Miguel celebrated the news. "We hugged and jumped into each other's arms," Israel said. "After everything that happened, thank God, they're finally with us," added Miguel. It would take an additional six hours for the necessary paperwork and processing before Serrano, Madelin, and Itzayana emerged from the customs building into the cool Ontario night, welcomed by their awaiting brothers. The sisters shared hugs and made video calls to family members. It was after 9 p.m., and the illuminated falls created a vibrant scene. "When they opened the doors and said, 'Welcome to Canada and good luck with your new life' — I felt an overwhelming joy that is hard to describe," Serrano shared.

"My daughters gave me immense strength." That strength also extended to her husband, who remains in detention. While U.S. immigration authorities had released Serrano and her daughters on April 1 and required them to check in weekly, Guardado was taken to an immigration detention center in Batavia, N.Y., facing a deportation hearing in June. Neufeld indicated they would now work on bringing Guardado to Canada to enter the asylum process with his family. "We are trying to explore the possibility of getting him released on bond, which would allow him to join them," she noted.

Jorge Barrera