Help us Keep our Family Together!

Help us keep our father from being deported to America

Hi everyone,

My name is Samantha, and I’m reaching out on behalf of my father, Michael — a loving husband, dedicated dad, and the hardest-working person I know. He’s been proudly sober for almost a decade, and throughout all of life’s ups and downs, he has remained committed to his family and to building a better life here in Canada.

Today, we’re asking for help because Michael is currently facing an immigration investigation that has placed his life in limbo. Despite having lived and contributed here for decades, he is now fighting to become a full-fledged Canadian citizen — to stay in the only place he truly calls home, with the people who love him.

Unfortunately my parents avoided dealing with his immigration due to fear of deportation during our childhood. He’s survived this long making income whatever way he can. Due to that, we’ve always experienced hardship, never really being able to catch up and approach the problem.

My dad was only attempting to apply for a new American passport (as a lawyer we contacted insisted this was the first step to citizenship) when he was harassed by the embassy to come in person after he had already been there to file and submit the papers. My dad only needed this passport as a form of ID. A month later four bounty hunters showed up and attacked him in our home, dragging my innocent 62 year old father up the stairs while he was already being compliant and coming outside as they asked. He was held in a cell overnight and thankfully my sister had almost enough savings to cover bond in the morning. Family and friends have already been assisting us along the way so far. We’ve been going through our belongings and selling old collectables, art, everything we can just to get by right now. Our landlord even served my parents an N4 to be evicted due to a late rent payment this month.

While the legal process unfolds, Michael is not allowed to work, which has placed our family under immense financial strain. My mom is on a fixed pension, and together they’re barely able to afford rent — let alone the mounting legal costs this complicated situation requires.

We’re hoping to raise $20,000 to cover his $10,000 bond and $10,000 in lawyer fees. These funds are urgently needed within the next two months, before his trial begins and he could potentially be sent back to America where he has no friends or family after living here over 32 years. It’s an extremely complicated legal case and we wouldn’t ask for help unless we were in the most desperate of times.

To our friends, family, and everyone who has already offered support — financially or emotionally — thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Every single donation, share, and kind word truly means the world to us.

To those to don’t know Michael - My father has worked hard his entire life, taking on physically demanding jobs as a handyman, contractor, and painter. He accepted whatever work was available to support our family while my mother stayed home to raise me and my sister.

Through it all, my father carried us with unwavering strength and love even though it was a constant struggle for my father to find consistent work. Because of the limitations of his undocumented status, his honesty was often taken advantage of. Time and time again, he would work for far less than he deserved despite what his skill and effort were truly worth. Despite these hardships, my father built an amazing reputation purely through word-of-mouth — people who hired him once would recommend him to everyone they knew.

My father is the cornerstone of our family and even my own personal recovery. Without him, I would not be able to maintain my sobriety or live a healthy, happy life. He has been my unwavering support, my guide through the darkest moments, and the only person who truly understands the challenges I face.

If he were taken away, our entire family’s life would be shattered. We would be forced to change everything — from where we live to how we function day-to-day — in an attempt to bring him back. The emotional toll on all of us would be devastating and it is impossible to imagine.

Mike is one of the kindest, most innocent-hearted men I have ever known. Throughout the years, I’ve had several friends from wealthy families move in with me after being kicked out of their homes. Despite our limited means, my parents welcomed them into our home without hesitation or judgment.

This generosity and kindness reflect the deep compassion my father has always shown to others, even in difficult circumstances.

My father himself grew up underprivileged, in a home plagued by alcohol, neglect, and abuse. Throughout his childhood, he never celebrated a single birthday — in fact, for most of his youth he didn’t even know the exact date of his own birthday. Despite this painful past, he made a conscious choice to treat us entirely differently.

He gave us the childhood he never had — spoiling us with love, attention, and care even when money was scarce. Every holiday and birthday was celebrated with joy, laughter, and whatever small gifts they could afford. My father ensured that we always felt safe and cherished, breaking a heartbreaking cycle and proving himself to be an incredibly inspiring person.

It is truly remarkable that someone who experienced such hardship could grow up to be so gentle, selfless, and determined to give his children the very best.

With deep gratitude,

The Blinn Family;

Samantha, Sabrina, Barbara, Garth & Michael