Montreal family gathers on eve of deportation to Mexico

A demonstration was held in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve on Thursday in support of a Montreal couple and their three children, on the eve of their deportation.

The event took place at École Saint-Clément, where the family’s three children are enrolled.

The family has been ordered to leave the country by 7 a.m. Friday. They have lived in Quebec since fleeing Mexico in 2018, fearing violence from drug cartels.

The organizers of the demonstration have collected more than 2,000 signatures on a petition calling on them to stay.

“If people are doing well here in Canada, Montreal, Hochelaga, why do they have to come out just to ask for a simple paper? For me, that’s not relevant,” said Leonardo Munoz, who helped organize the rally. “It’s about how those people can have their full potential and participate in Quebec society.”

Norma Quintana says it’s a difficult situation, especially for her daughter.

“She’s a very stressed person. It’s hard for her. She doesn’t really understand what happened and the situation,” she said. “It’s hard for the whole family.”

For Quintana, staying in Canada is a matter of life and death.