Abdoul Abdi grew up in foster care in Nova Scotia, but never got Canadian citizenship, and was held by the Canada Border Services Agency after spending five years in prison for multiple offences.
HANDOUT/SAMER MUSCATI/THE CANADIAN PRESS

A lawyer for former Somali child refugee Abdoul Abdi says a federal court will hear an emergency request to temporarily stop his deportation process.

Abdi, who never got Canadian citizenship while growing up in foster care in Nova Scotia, was detained by the Canada Border Services Agency after serving five years in prison for multiple offences, including aggravated assault.

His lawyer says the public safety minister told the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada to go ahead with a deportation hearing after refusing Abdi’s request to have the process put on hold while he pursues a constitutional challenge.

Benjamin Perryman says a federal court has not decided whether there will be a full hearing on Abdi’s constitutional challenge of the minister’s decision to deport him.

Perryman says Abdi argues that he will be irreparably harmed if he is stripped of his rights before a court weighs in on the constitutional case.

He says a court hearing on Abdi’s request for a temporary stop of the deportation process will be held in Halifax on Thursday.

Representatives for Public Safety Canada could not immediately be reached for comment.

Source: THE CANADIAN PRESS