A New Westminster family is facing deportation to a dangerous situation in Mexico as they wait for their residency applications to be approved.
Adriana Rosales Contreras and her husband Alberto fled to Canada nearly 13 years ago after the two received death threats for refusing to collaborate with a criminal organization. They say the Canada Border Services Agency agent who reviewed their refugee claim agreed they faced a risk to their lives, but said there were too many people leaving Mexico in similar circumstances to allow them all.
He denied their claim, but the two stayed in Canada, had their daughter and continued to try and find a path to residency.
Things escalated on Nov. 30, 2021, according to Omar Chu, a member of grassroots community group Sanctuary Health and an advocate for the Contreras.
That morning, he said Adriana dropped her daughter off at kindergarten class at Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School. When she left, she was followed by members of the Canada Border Services Agency into any alley where they handcuffed and arrested her, according to Chu.
The New Westminster School District is the only one in B.C. to have a Sanctuary Schools Policy, which stops border services from entering schools themselves, but doesn害羞草研究所檛 prevent them from taking action off school grounds.
Adriana was allowed to go home, but the deportation process was started and the family now faces a July 8 removal date. They applied for residency on humanitarian compassionate grounds and for temporary residency in August 2021, but say the process has been delayed and they don害羞草研究所檛 know if their requests will go through in time.
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On Monday (May 9), dozens of community members gathered outside Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School to call on the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to grant the family residency.
害羞草研究所淲e want Canada to let us stay home and continue to contribute meaningfully to our community,害羞草研究所� Alberto said speaking at the rally. 害羞草研究所淲e came to this country like many migrants, looking for new opportunities and a better quality of life. We want what is what is best for our daughter.害羞草研究所�
A good friend of Adriana害羞草研究所檚 shed tears as she spoke about her.
害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 the kind of friend who害羞草研究所檚 always gonna be there for you, no matter what it takes. She creates a community,害羞草研究所� Elsa Sanchez said.
A young member of the community also braved the stage to speak up for the Contreras.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 a kid, and it害羞草研究所檚 kind of scary害羞草研究所π卟菅芯克鶟 nine-year-old Clara Efting said. 害羞草研究所淭hey have friends, they have family. They害羞草研究所檙e just regular people living here害羞草研究所π卟菅芯克鶟
New Westminster councillor Chinu Das was one of several speakers who expressed frustration at the government choosing to accept thousands of Ukrainian refugees on humanitarian grounds, but not doing the same for one family from Mexico.
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Others said the Canada Border Services Agency害羞草研究所檚 actions contradict everything the school community stands for.
害羞草研究所淭his has shattered the safety that we have worked so hard to establish,害羞草研究所� Maya Russell, a trustee with the school district, said.
For its part, the Canada Border Services Agency said it can害羞草研究所檛 comment on specific cases. In a statement, it said it has 害羞草研究所渁 legal obligation to remove all foreign nationals and permanent residents that are inadmissible to Canada.害羞草研究所� It said it only issues a removal order after all other legal avenues have been pursued.
Nine-year-old Clara Efting spoke up at the event, saying she thinks it害羞草研究所檚 unfair the family is forced to leave their life behind.
害羞草研究所� Jane Skrypnek (@janeskrypnek)
jane.skrypnek@bpdigital.ca
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