Afghan Family Caught in ICE-Canada Asylum Limbo
An Afghan family remains detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as they await visas to claim asylum in Canada, facing potential deportation back to Afghanistan.
In a quiet Toronto suburb, 30-year-old Asal anxiously waits for news of her father and two siblings, who have been held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention for months.
Stranded Between Two Borders
The trio fled Afghanistan after Asal’s father worked as a contractor supporting U.S. troops, making them targets for Taliban persecution. They reached the U.S. and surrendered to ICE at the northern border, aiming to cross into Canada and claim asylum.
Bureaucratic Deadlock
Under the Safe Third Country Agreement, asylum seekers without a visa can only apply at a land border. U.S. officials demand they enter Canada by air, which requires visas still under review—leaving them stuck in limbo and facing deportation.
Harsh Detention Conditions
Held in crowded cells, the family reports strip searches, poor-quality food and threats of solitary confinement for those who refuse meals. The youngest son, who suffers seizures, spent 10 days in hospital before returning to ICE custody.
Legal Battles and Political Shifts
The family’s U.S. and Canadian lawyers have petitioned ICE and Canada’s immigration authorities. In February, part of the family was released, but three members remain detained due to paper–work delays and changing U.S. policies under the Trump administration.
Canadian legal experts argue that Canada could reunite the family under exemptions to the Safe Third Country Agreement and prevent their deportation to Afghanistan—a country still facing widespread violence.
"Caught between shifting policies in both countries, the family remains in jeopardy of being deported to Afghanistan, despite having close relatives in Canada who could offer them safety."
This topic was reported by BBC News.
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