According to the immigration lawyer representing the ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect Lev Tahor, the Canadian Border Service Agency arrested and detained six members Wednesday morning.
As a result Guidy Mamann says about a dozen children were briefly taken by the Children’s Aid Society. However, as of 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, CAS had returned all children to their families.
Executive director of Chatham’s Children’s Services, Stephen Doing, says CAS worked with agents, while they executed several warrants for suspected immigration and refugee protection act violations.
"Everyone was at everyone's throats,” said sect member Joel Helbrans. “You can see the terrible decisions that have been made and the terrible anxiety that's been created."
Mamann agrees with Helbrans about the ongoing struggle of the sect and its impact on the children.
“Pretend you are looking at the world through a child's eyes," Mamann says. "The kids are absolutely traumatized at the very sight of immigration officials – the very sight of the police.”
It’s the latest incident involving members of the group, who are under investigation in Quebec for alleged child neglect.
The matter is scheduled to return to a Chatham family courtroom on Friday.
