SUCCESS! Order to Deport the Maengs Rescinded

Fabulous news: The Canadian government has rescinded an order to deport the Maengs, a South Korean family who moved to Moncton, New Brunswick, eight and a half years ago. The Maengs moved to Canada in search of better treatment for their now 15-year-old son, Sung-Joo Maeng, who has epilepsy and autism.

According to the Huffington Post, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has agreed to rescind the deportation order in the face of “growing public protest” on behalf of the Maengs:

The Maeng family’s story has attracted national attention because federal officials had said the family had to leave Canada by June 30 because providing health care and social services for 14-year-old Sung-Joo would put too much strain on the system.

On Wednesday, the New Brunswick government responded to growing public outrage by handing a private letter to the family confirming the province will pay for the boy’s health-care and social service costs.

The senior Citizenship and Immigration Canada source said the four-member family would be allowed to stay in Canada to continue the process of seeking permanent residency, but Kenney’s department couldn’t act until Thursday when it received New Brunswick’s commitment in writing.

The Maengs have owned and operated Moncton’s Main Stop Oriental Market on West Main Street in Moncton since 2003, when they came to Canada with temporary work visas. At that time, they “disclosed Sung-Joo’s health conditions to federal officials.” The Maengs also have another son, 19-year-old Jung-Joo, who also goes by the name John and has a student visa and is studying science at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

The family’s lawyer, Jack Haller, said that he and two other lawyers working on the case were “baffled by the federal government’s initial decision to deport the family, and the legal team was poised to seek an injunction to stop the process.” Sung-Joo’s neurologist had “said it would be unsafe for the boy to board a plane to Asia.” As Haller also stated, “The services are far superior here than anything he would receive in (South) Korea.”

At a news conference, John Maeng said:

“We were just so shocked. We were thrilled, and found a little more hope.”

THANK YOU to all who signed the petition to support the Maengs!

Photo of the Maengs from the Facebook page, Help the Maeng Family Stay in Canada.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Hope S.

6:57PM PDT on Jun 29, 2011

Good story. We must continue to suport those who are without power.
Our voices give them power. This is a hard working family, conributing to their community for years. How could anyone think of punishing their family for not having enough money to pay high medical bills for their young son. The government was right in rescinding the deportation orders.

send a green star

Ginger S.

6:55AM PDT on Jun 13, 2011

the usa should have universal heath care too.

Patrick F.

11:25AM PDT on Jun 12, 2011

Ernest, Ignorant or uninformed, doesn't matter. You commented without INFORMING yourself first. It was stated in the original story. As far as why they "failed to do so", why don't you find out and get back to me on that.

Loo S.

9:59AM PDT on Jun 12, 2011

thanks for the good news.

Lady K.

9:29AM PDT on Jun 12, 2011

cool

Ellen R.

8:57PM PDT on Jun 11, 2011

A triumph for compassion over bean- counting.

Ernest R.

8:50PM PDT on Jun 11, 2011

@ Patrick R-Where did you get all this favourable information that was not supplied here ? If it is true, I might be classified as uninformed rather than ignorant. Rather insulting, don’t you think ? Many citizens, many of them unqualified for citizenship by any standard, were not born in this “multicultural” country. As I have personally seen the incredible ease with which they get citizenship, I must wonder how the Maengs failed to do so.

Tiffany L.

5:35PM PDT on Jun 11, 2011

good news :)

1:52PM PDT on Jun 11, 2011

Ernest R. Not as much a dissenting voice as an ignorant one. They TRIED to become citizens, they supported their community,owned a business, paid taxes, and obeyed the law. THEY contributed the same if not more than a lot of Canadian citizens do. Just how many "citizens" in 30 or so million people were born here in this "Multicultural" country?

12:40PM PDT on Jun 11, 2011

A dissenting voice here I’m afraid. It seems hard for Canadians to realize that Canada can NOT afford to provide exceptionally expensive medical care for any non citizen who chooses to come to Canada to claim it, as this family did. I don’t fault the family. I would do the same if I thought I could get away with it, and if I were then deported I would be sorry but would have no legitimate complaint. @ Mariln L-“Isn't it sad that even a great country like Canada has no room for children like Sung-Joo all because of money?” Yes, it’s sad, but it is a reality that things cost money, and it is limited. That’s why we have to earn it. It is also a reality that there are many Canadians in desperate straits, especially First nations people living under third world conditions.