Community rallies around student facing deportation from Canada
An 18-year-old student in Toronto is facing deportation from Canada back to his native Mexico. About four days ago, Daniel Garcia was detained when asked for identification during a random police check. Garcia came to Canada in 2007 and applied for refugee status with his sister, saying that they were facing persecution and may be killed in Mexico.
These refugee claims were denied, but then Garcia applied for an extension of the refugee claim, or a pre-removal risk assessment. Unfortunately, this pre-removal risk assessment was not filled out correctly. After his immigration lawyer died between the initial filing of the refugee claim and it being rejected, Garcia had employees at his local library help him fill out the forms. He never received a response.
Several community groups and non-profit organizations have held rallies in support of giving Garcia more time to make his case.
Sister also facing deportation from Canada.
Garcia’s sister was expected to be deported on Monday. Garcia’s sister is gay, and her partner was shot to death in Mexico. According to Garcia, word has already spread throughout Mexico City about their pending deportation from Canada, and they have already been threatened with death.
Numerous news articles on the case have interviewed lawyers and activists who all have said that the holidays are an opportune time for deportation from Canada, because most people are not working and it can be difficult for those facing deportation from Canada to get ahold of lawyers or other people who could help them.
Not a very flattering commentary on the CBSA I would say.
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
