Halima Abdi found herself detained by officials near Edmonton’s airport earlier this month, reaching out to comfort her three young sons in the back seat of her sister’s vehicle outside a Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) office. The unexpected detention occurred on September 4 as she went for her regular check-in, with her scheduled removal from Canada just six days away after a ten-year struggle to stay in the country. Her eldest son, aged seven, embraced his siblings asking, “Why did you leave us, Mommy?” while the youngest pleaded for her return.
In what Abdi described as a miraculous turn of events over the following 72 hours, immigration authorities granted her application for permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds on the very day she was set to depart for Kenya. Expressing her gratitude in an interview with CBC News, Abdi was overwhelmed by the support she received from numerous advocates who had stood by her for nearly a decade.
Abdi’s journey to establish a new life in Canada began in 2017 when she traveled from Kenya to the United States and crossed the northern border. Despite facing rejection initially by Canadian immigration authorities, who disputed her claims of being targeted in Kenya due to her Somali ethnicity, Abdi was left with the difficult choice of either leaving her children in the care of the Alberta government or taking them with her to Kenya.
On September 4, supporters rallied outside the Edmonton CBSA building, while Abdi’s legal team and advocates reached out to the federal public safety minister and garnered over 1,000 signatures on a petition urging immigration authorities to reconsider her case. Following her transfer to a detention center in British Columbia and subsequent return to Edmonton, Abdi was released on September 10 at Edmonton International Airport, reuniting with her relieved family members.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Abdi’s application for permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, submitted in August 2024, met eligibility requirements on September 9. The CBSA confirmed receiving IRCC’s decision on September 10 and temporarily halted the removal order pending further medical and security checks as part of her permanent residency application process.
As Abdi savors the precious moments with her children, she also envisions a potential future career in Canada, contemplating roles in law enforcement, the military, or healthcare. Reflecting on her journey, Abdi expressed her resilience, stating, “When I think back, I’m like, ‘Girl, you’re so strong. If this did not break you, nothing’s going to break you.'”
