'This is not Donald Trump's America': Rally held after migrant mother detained near B.C. school
Dozens of people gathered outside a New Westminster elementary school Saturday morning to denounce the recent actions of Canada Border Services Agency officers.
The rally was organized by Sanctuary Health, a grassroots organization that advocates for the rights of migrants.
Organizer Omar Chu said on Nov. 30, a mother dropping off her child for kindergarten at Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School was followed by CBSA officers and detained a short distance away.
“It's extremely troubling,” said Chu. “Students are afraid that if they go to school, their parents might not be home when they get back.”
Chu said the parents are Mexican refugee claimants who have been living in Canada for a decade, and their daughter is Canadian.
They did not have their lawyer at a refugee hearing and did not understand the appeal process at the time, according to Chu, who said they have since applied for permanent residency on humanitarian grounds.
“(They) came here fleeing violence,” Chu said. “It is a failure of the system, in terms that every refugee claimant should have the right to representation at the refugee hearing.”
Since the arrest, the mother has been released from detention, but the incident has shaken the school community.
Maya Russell, a trustee with the school district, said there are other families also facing deportation who are afraid they will also be targeted by the CBSA.
“They are now terrified. They thought it was safe to bring their child to school. CBSA’s actions have told them that in fact, their child's school attendance can be a way that CBSA is using to track them,” she said.
In 2017, New Westminster schools introduced a Sanctuary Schools Policy, which ensures all children have access to education regardless of their immigration status.
Many at the rally criticized the CBSA for undermining the policy.
“All schools in New Westminster are open to children regardless of the immigration status of their parents,” Russell said. “The problem here is that we need the federal government, we need CBSA, to back off from tracking families with precarious status, to have anything to do with the school.”
In response, CBSA spokesperson Judith Gadbois-St-Cyr confirmed that officers were in New Westminster on Nov. 30 carrying out an Immigration and Refugee Protection Act investigation.
“It is important to note that at no time did CBSA officers enter the property of any schools in the area,” she wrote in an email statement.
She said the CBSA cannot comment on the specifics of the case, citing privacy reasons.
“The decision to remove someone from Canada is not taken lightly,” she wrote. “Everyone ordered to be removed from Canada is entitled to due process before the law and all removal orders are subject to various levels of appeal … Once individuals have exhausted all legal avenues of appeal and due process, however, they are expected to respect our laws and leave Canada or be removed.”
Peter Julian, the NDP Member of Parliament for New Westminster-Burnaby, said the actions of the CBSA are “mean-spirited” since the family are legitimate refugee claimants.
“I don't see – I don't think Canadians would see – any distinction between border police waiting at the entrance to the school and waiting on the street. I mean, it's just not the way we work in Canada. This is not Donald Trump's America,” Julian said.
“In Canada, we should respect the process and the federal government should make the investments so that the refugee system works and when you have legitimate refugees fleeing violence and almost certain death, they should be treated with respect – their applications should be treated promptly and effectively,” he added.
Chu said Saturday’s demonstration shows people are taking a stand against deportation, and called on the province to implement the sanctuary schools policy for districts across B.C.
“We need to stand up as a community and fight against deportations and welcome refugees here,” he said.
In an email response, the Ministry of Education said: “Every child and youth in British Columbia must have safe access to education.”
It added that Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside has met with Sanctuary Health and many districts have already implemented such policies. The ministry’s statement did not commit to implementing such a policy province-wide.
The family was not present at the rally, but attendees said they hope the family can see they are being supported by the community.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire doubles in size as 3,000-plus ordered to evacuate
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
IN PHOTOS Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
The Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from competition hours before Saturday's final of the pan-continental pop competition, which has been rattled by protests over the participation of Israel.
Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country's police chief after a new gang attack
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.
Protest encampment cleared by Edmonton police early Saturday morning
A protest encampment set up on the University of Alberta campus was cleared early Saturday morning by Edmonton police.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
'We have no judge for you': Man's assault charges dropped weeks before trial due to lack of judges in Toronto
A man who was accused of sexually and physically assaulting a woman had his charges dropped in April, just weeks before he was set to stand trial in Toronto, due to a lack of judges in the region.