A vacationing British family who said they made an unexpected detour at the US-Canada border and were subsequently detained by US immigration authorities, described it as "the scariest experience of our entire lives." But border officials are disputing the family's account.

Eileen Connors, 24, said she was visiting Vancouver, Canada, in early October with her 30-year-old husband, and three-month-old baby. Connors said her husband's cousin was driving close to the US-Canada border when he made a brief detour on an unmarked road to avoid hitting an animal, entered the United States, and were detained by an officer.



"When we said we did not even know, and we did not intend to cross, the officer said it did not make a difference and we would all go into the custody of the United States," Connors said in a sworn statement. "This is how the scariest experience of our entire lives started."



The statement, which was redacted, did not identify the family but the Connors were named in multiple media reports. On Wednesday afternoon, ALDEA – The People’s Justice Center, a pro bono legal aid organization, said the family had been deported to the UK.

"We learned this morning that the family is no longer at the facility, and ICE has confirmed that they have been removed to the UK," the organization said in a statement. "We hope that this family's unfortunate experience helps you elevate the important stories of all children in immigration detention - especially the 27 kids who remain at Berks today."

The family's account of being held in cold and dirty US immigration detention facilities without enough food garnered international attention, and echoed statements from immigrants, many of them from Central America, who have been held by US authorities.

But Customs and Border Protection officials said in a statement Tuesday that the Connors' vehicle was observed via a remote video camera traveling west on a road that runs parallel to the US-Canada border at 9 p.m. on Oct. 2 before turning south onto another road "slowly and deliberately driving through a ditch" into the US.

The car, which was carrying four other British citizens, was pulled over by a Border Patrol agent shortly after crossing the border, CBP said, and all occupants were apprehended on suspicion of illegally entering the US without inspection. The seven British citizens — four adults and three children — were processed by Border Patrol and later handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"During processing, record checks revealed two of the adults were previously denied travel authorization to come to the United States," CBP said. "Attempts were made to return the individuals to Canada, however, Canada refused to allow their return and two attempts to contact the consulate for the United Kingdom were unsuccessful."

Bridget Cambria, the Connors' attorney, said in a tweet that CBP's statement doesn't contradict what the family said other than the car entered the US "deliberately."

"The families were told there was video footage," Cambria said. "They didn’t know it was the US and simply wanted to return."

Cambria could not immediately be reached for additional comment.