How We Won an Emergency Stay of Removal in Five Days — and Why the Immigration Bar Is Worth Celebrating

Sometimes the most meaningful calls come on a Monday evening.

A Two-Inch Binder, a Monday Night, and a Removal Notice

This week, I met a new client for the first time. They walked in carrying a full two-inch binder — years of immigration history, carefully organized. We sat down, and I listened.

The next morning: a removal notice. Departure date — April 7.

I cleared my calendar and got to work. Over the following days we filed:

• A deferral request to the CBSA;
• An application for leave and judicial review (ALJR) at the Federal Court;
• An urgent motion for a stay of removal, supported by a full affidavit record and memorandum of argument.

All of it done while I was buried in case law research across the week. (And yes — for those who don’t know, CBSA does have a Kingston office. It is surprising how many lawyers and clients do not realize that.)

This Morning: An Approved Deferral

This morning, we received an approved deferral.

When my client heard the news, they cried. I thought: every hour this week was worth it.

The Bar Is Better for People Like You

None of this happens alone. To the wonderful immigration and refugee lawyers and law professor who answered my calls and DMs through the week — Sarah Sohn, Nalini Reddy, Andrea Valderrama, Winne Lee, Eleanor Ramuscak, Professor Sharry Aiken, Chantal Desloges, and Justin Jian-Yi (坚义) Toh (卓) — thank you for the case law, the strategy guidance, the care, the referral, and the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. phone calls.

The bar is better for people like you.

Thank you to this client for your trust. Thank you to the clients I rescheduled — your patience means everything. And thank you to my kids for eating instant noodles all week without a single complaint.

Happy Easter.

Adapted from a post originally published on LinkedIn. Read the original post on LinkedIn →