Federal authorities cancel Edmonton mom's removal from Canada hours before she boards plane | CBC News

CBSA says it stayed removal order pending outcome of woman’s application for permanent residence

Calling while being detained by officials near Edmonton's airport earlier this month, Halima Abdi tried to comfort her three little boys huddled in the back seat of her sister’s vehicle outside a Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) office.

Earlier that day, Sept. 4, authorities unexpectedly detained Abdi, who went into the CBSA building in downtown Edmonton for her weekly check-in. After a decade-long battle to stay in Canada, Abdi's removal was just six days away.

"Why did you leave us, Mommy?,” her eldest — seven years old — asked, putting a protective arm around his sibling.

What unfolded over the next 72 hours, according to Abdi, was nothing short of a miracle.

On the same day she was supposed to fly back to Kenya, immigration authorities approved — in principle — Abdi's application for permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

In an interview with CBC News on Tuesday, Abdi tried to find the words to thank dozens of her supporters who have stood by her for nearly a decade. 

“I don't know how to express my gratitude to everybody," she said. "I will just pray for them.”

Motherhood issue: Federal gov't urged to halt deportations that separate moms from children

Abdi's bid to start a new life in Canada began in February 2017 when she flew from Kenya to the United States and walked across the northern border.

Canadian immigration authorities at the time rejected Abdi’s claim that she was a target in Kenya because of her Somali ethnicity.

Two unpalatable options remained: surrender her children to be raised by the Alberta government, or bring them with her to Kenya.