Family allowed to stay for two years

June 23, 2017, 7:32 am
Kevin Weedmark

After a huge groundswell of support from their community, Victor Santos, Lesi Hernandez and their family have been allowed to stay in Canada.

Just as hundreds of people gathered at the Legion Hall in Moosomin Thursday for a fundraising lunch and show of support for the family, Victor received an email saying his work and temporary resident visa will be renewed for two years.

Victor, Lesi, and their older son Victor Junior had been ordered deported from Canada as their refugee application had been denied. They were to be sent to Honduras July 5, where they felt their lives were in danger. Their youngest son Edward is a Canadian citizen and is not subject to the deportation order, but the family felt they would have no option but to take him with them if they had been deported.

The family was asking that the deportation order be stayed in order to allow time for a new application for residency based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds to be heard.

At 11:27 am Thursday, just as the event in Moosomin was getting started, Victor received an email from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada advising him that a new two-year remprary resident permit has been issued for himself and his family.

The Let Them Stay rally turned into a celebration.

See all the details in the next World-Spectator