Canada

Serrano felt this same hope the last time she took this pedestrian walkway across the Rainbow Bridge that spans the Niagara River to Canada. It was March 17, as previously reported by CBC News, and she was crossing with her husband Marcos Guardado and the two girls.

But Canadian border officials on the other side questioned the veracity of documents Serrano presented that she said proved she had an anchor relative — a brother who is a Canadian citizen — one of the exceptions that allow asylum claims under the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) sent the family back to the U.S. where they were held for two weeks inside cells designated for detentions lasting under 72 hours.

The family managed to breathe fresh air once during their detention, in late March, when they were sent across the bridge to the Canadian port of entry only to be rejected again. They were sent back to the U.S. and into a windowless cell where Itzayana would sometimes wake up crying from bad dreams.

After Serrano arrived at the Canadian port of entry (on May 5), she faced renewed questioning from the CBSA as her case was scrutinized again. Neufeld says she began to worry as the process dragged on.

At about 3 p.m. ET, roughly six hours after Serrano first entered the customs office, she received word that she could stay with her daughters in Canada and make her asylum claim.