Beverley Braham has been ordered by the Canada Border Services Agency to report for removal on Thursday after her appeal was denied.
Braham, 38, is married to a Canadian citizen and has a four-month-old son, who was born in Canada. She came to Canada in 2012 on a six-month visa, but overstayed her visa.
On September 6, she took her son and husband with her when she met with an official from CBSA. That’s when, Braham says, a CBSA official made her husband leave the room, called Children’s Aid Society (CAS), and took away her baby food.
Braham says they were kept in detention for nearly three full days.
Her supporters, including the Black Lives Matter Movement, held a demonstration to protest her detention and deportation, blocking the intersection of Yonge and Bloor for almost 20 minutes during rush hour on Tuesday morning.
On Wednesday, she returned to the CBSA to plead her case to remain in Canada.
In a letter obtained by CityNews, the CBSA considered several requests to defer her removal, first on the basis of her current medical circumstances and another in the best interests of her four-month-old child.
In both instances, the CBSA determined there was not enough evidence for a deferral of the removal order.
Braham argued that leaving the country would “be detrimental to her health” as she was undergoing treatment for a blood clot in her lungs. However, the CBSA noted that Braham has been treated for her condition and air travel at this time would not be detrimental to her condition.
With regards to the best interest of her infant son, who requires surgery “in the near future,” the CBSA noted that the child – being a Canadian citizen – would receive all the necessary medical care which is available to all Canadians. It also noted that no surgical procedure has been scheduled and it’s uncertain when this procedure would be done.
“While I am sympathetic to the family’s circumstances, it is [sic] must also be understood that the separation of family members is an unfortunate but inherent aspect of the removals process,” reads the letter.
The letter concludes by saying Braham is expected to report for her removal on September 21 as directed.
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