New York, Oct 18 (V7N) — A Bangladeshi asylum seeker living in Canada has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after he unintentionally crossed the border near Buffalo, New York.

The detainee, identified as Mahin Shahriar, had been residing in Canada since 2019 while awaiting the outcome of his asylum application. According to The Canadian Press, Mahin accidentally entered U.S. territory while following a friend’s directions for a brief trip meant to help him overcome depression.

“I was feeling low and wanted to spend a few days somewhere peaceful,” Mahin told reporters. “A friend guided me to a place, but I didn’t realize it was close to the U.S. border. Suddenly, I noticed I was already in the United States — it wasn’t intentional.”

After realizing his mistake, Mahin voluntarily approached U.S. border agents and tried to explain his situation. Despite his cooperation, ICE officers detained him for illegally entering the country.

ICE officials informed his attorney, Wasim Ahmed, that they would neither compel Canada to take him back nor deport him to Bangladesh, as he lacks valid travel documents. “Mahin was living in Canada legally, and his mother and sister are both recognized residents,” Ahmed said. “We’ve filed an emergency petition in a U.S. federal court urging Canada to accept him back on humanitarian grounds.”

Canadian authorities have so far refused to readmit Mahin, leaving him stranded in legal uncertainty. Official records show that on September 24, Mahin signed U.S. immigration papers stating he does not seek asylum in the United States, since his own application in Canada is still under process.

Mahin, who fled to Canada with his mother and younger sister after his parents’ divorce, was supporting his family as an Uber driver.

Legal experts say his case exposes the complexity of the Canada–U.S. border system, where asylum seekers can inadvertently end up detained due to unclear boundaries and poor cross-border coordination. Human rights organizations have urged both governments to establish fair humanitarian protocols for asylum seekers caught in such legal limbo.

END/WD/AJ/