War Resisters Support Campaign

U.S. Iraq War resister Kimberly Rivera voluntarily presented herself at the U.S. border this morning, after requests to have Jason Kenney process her humanitarian and compassionate application were denied.

Kimberly was immediately arrested and detained, and transferred to military custody. She now awaits transfer to a different military facility where she faces punishment for being absent from her unit.

Her family, including four minor children, crossed separately. Kimberly did not want her children to have to see her detained by the US military, as this would be traumatic for them.

During a Federal Court hearing in Toronto on Monday, lawyers for the Department of Justice argued that Kimberly would not be detained when she crossed the border. Justice Near, of the Federal Court, ultimately denied her request for a stay of removal, finding arrest and detention to be speculative.

Just as the Rivera family’s lawyer argued in court and as was predicted by her Canadian supporters, Kimberly was detained immediately upon crossing the border into the United States of America this morning.

Kimberly now awaits punishment for refusing to return to iraq, a conflict which Kimberly and Canada determined was wrong.