Federal officials halt Edmonton mother's deportation hours before flight

On Sept. 4, 2024, CBSA officers detained Halima Abdi in downtown Edmonton during her weekly check‑in. She had a removal order that was to be carried out six days later, after a decade‑long battle to stay in Canada.

In an email to CBC News, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said Abdi’s August 2024 application for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds passed the eligibility requirements on Sept. 9.

The CBSA said it received confirmation from the IRCC on Sept. 10 and stayed the removal order pending the outcome of her application for permanent residence, which involves further medical and security checks. The stay was issued just hours before Abdi was scheduled to board a flight back to Kenya.

She was released from custody on Sept. 10 at Edmonton International Airport and reunited with her three children, who had been waiting in the airport’s arrivals area.

Supporters had gathered outside the Edmonton CBSA building on Sept. 4, and more than 1,000 people signed a petition urging officials to reconsider the removal. Their protests highlighted the community’s belief that the humanitarian‑and‑compassionate process could protect families.

Abdi’s case illustrates how a last‑minute approval of a humanitarian and compassionate permanent‑residence application can overturn a removal order, showing the practical power of Canada’s immigration safeguards for families.

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