Illegal Immigrant American family to be deported from Canada

[JI7]

Canadians are not sympathetic at all.


A family living in Canada for 15 years is facing deportation back to the United States after discovering their work visa has expired. The Figg family, who moved to Canada on a work visa, now has until September 8 to leave the country.

Stella Figg, a 15-year-old who was born in the United States but has lived in Canada since she was a baby, expressed her distress over the situation.

"Well, I mean, I've lived my whole life there, so it's like home," she said when speaking with CTV Network. "So it's really challenging to know that I might have to restart, at zero."

Alice Figg, the mother, recounted the moment they were stopped by border patrol upon returning from a trip to the U.S. on Monday.

"We're being given two weeks to pack up our house, to sell our house, to liquidate our assets, and to leave Canada, possibly permanently, without any expectation of being able to return into the country," she told the outlet.

https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/american-figg-family-facing-deportation-from-canada-after-15-years-speaks-out-reapply-work-visa-expiration-window-date-grace-period-cincinnati-permanent-residency-lives-school-refugees-citizenship-zero-start-border-patrol-inspection-documents-politic-law

[montanacowboy]

1. Wow

It seems that Canada is just kicking them out after 15 years with 2 weeks to pack up and leave, sell their house and get out. We go to Canada quite a bit living so close to the border and have always found Canadians friendly. Maybe this has more to it than reported.

[JI7]

2. Canada has been having problems with immigration

for a few years now.

It's mostly things like the fake students from India and some other countries. But these have caused problems with housing and they are even competing for minimum wage jobs.

The lack of sympathy also has to do with Trump and how people outside the country are seeing us.

[Skittles]

4. surely Canadians are aware MANY of us utterly despise Trump

heck, at this point I would say MOST of us

[AloeVera]

9. This has nothing to do with "lack of sympathy".

The Figgs did not meet permanent resident status requirements. However Canada's immigration system provides options for them, including an extension, visitor status, appeal to the Minister and exemption on humanitarian grounds.

Why paint Canada and the Canadian people as having "no sympathy"? Canada has a history of deep humanitarianism towards immigrants and refugees. Yes, it has been abused recently, which the MAGA-lite in Canada is eager to exploit to demonize all immigrants and refugees a la Trump.

[dalton99a]

10. +1. The large influx is causing serious problems

[Justice matters.]

3. One of the questions that pops up is why Alice Figg did not apply...

for legal status while she was working legally during the time her work visa was valid?

[Celerity]

6. The family tried a few times to apply for permanent residency but to no avail. Brent Figg says in the past, after their

work visa would expire, they were usually given a 90-day grace period to reapply, but that wasn’t the case this time around.

“We were well within that window,” Brent said.

Immigration lawyer Patrice Brunet, who does not represent the family, says there is a chance they could stay in Canada.

“What I would explore with them is in an application under humanitarian grounds, which, you know, that’s a system we have in Canada that will allow an immigration officer to consider the file as a whole: community integration, past work history, of course the kids that are here,” Brunet explained.

snip

https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/two-weeks-to-pack-up-our-house-quebec-family-forced-to-return-to-us-after-15-years-in-canada/

[littlemissmartypants]

5. I have a feeling...

There's more to this story than what's been shared here.

[AloeVera]

8. There is...

Canada has a point-system for obtaining permanent resident status. Looks like the family lost points due to the father's lack of stable employment. He was on 2-4 year contracts in the past, however now he seems to be unemployed. Though he is obtaining retraining, he states it has been difficult due to health issues.


In any case, there is still hope. Canada provides options in such situations. He has already stated they will appeal to the federal minister of immigration and they have contacted their Member of Parliament. Further:

For immigration lawyer Stéphane Duval of the McCarthy Tétrault firm, the measures announced to the Figgs by Canada's border services could be less catastrophic than one might think.

"The Windsor station where they received the forms is known to be very strict. But what the customs officers require is that Mr. and Mrs. Figg be able to demonstrate that they are in order. They then simply have to present themselves at a counter with all the proof of their status. Otherwise, they can always request an extension of time to adjust."

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2025/08/30/cest-la-consternation-pour-une-famille-canado-americaine-de-bromont-qui-risque-lexpulsion-apres-15-ans-au-canada

Another immigration lawyer says:

“What I would explore with them is in an application under humanitarian grounds, which, you know, that’s a system we have in Canada that will allow an immigration officer to consider the file as a whole: community integration, past work history, of course the kids that are here,” Brunet explained.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/two-weeks-to-pack-up-our-house-quebec-family-forced-to-return-to-us-after-15-years-in-canada/

[lostnfound]

7. Well at least they aren't stuck in an El Salvador private prison, or GEO 'detention center'