18007 (2026). Vanushi Walters to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

18007 (2026). Vanushi Walters to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Can the Minister advise on what date the New Zealand Embassy in Washington first made contact with the detention facility, in relation to the case of a New Zealand mother and her six-year-old son who were detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the US–Canada border on 24 July 2025 and held for three weeks at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, if at all, and does the Minister consider the Government's response to have been timely given that media reports indicate the Embassy did not intervene until 13 August 2025 — nearly three weeks after the detention began?

Rt Hon Winston Peters: The New Zealand Embassy in Washinton contacted detention authorities within 24 hours of being notified of this case. We are satisfied that consular officials responded in a timely way. Timeframes for a foreign government notifying New Zealand of citizens in detention overseas can vary depending on a range of factors, including whether assistance is requested by the individual as well as detention centre processes where the New Zealander is held.