TISDALE, SASKATCHEWAN — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada rejected Jaskirat Singh Sidhu’s pre-removal risk assessment, clearing the way for the truck driver responsible for the Humboldt Broncos bus crash to be deported to India, his lawyer said Thursday.
Michael Greene, Sidhu’s lawyer, said his client learned on Wednesday that the PRRA had been denied. “The wheels are set in motion now and the (Canada Border Services Agency) is under a legal obligation to remove people as soon as possible,” Greene said.
The decision removes the stay on deportation that had been in place while the PRRA was under review. Greene called the denial unsurprising because of the “very high bar,” and said it “enables them to remove him now.”
Without a deferral, Greene estimated removal in “two to three months.” He said Sidhu now sits in an immigration enforcement phase after receiving full parole in 2023.
Sidhu drove through a stop sign into the path of the team’s bus at a rural intersection near Tisdale, Saskatchewan, on April 6, 2018. The collision, involving his truck carrying peat moss, killed 16 people and injured 13 others.
Among the dead were 10 players and the team’s head coach. The Humboldt Broncos bus crash remains a national touchpoint in Canada, in part because it struck a junior hockey team and rippled across tight-knit communities far beyond Saskatchewan.
Sidhu, described as a rookie Calgary trucker, arrived in Canada as a permanent resident in 2014. Prosecutors charged him over the crash, and he later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving charges.
Judge Inez Cardinal imposed concurrent sentences totaling eight years in prison, described as the longest such sentence in Canada without alcohol involvement. In her decision, Cardinal said Sidhu had “ample time to react” but was distracted by flapping tarps on his load.
Cardinal also cited factors that included remorse and the absence of a prior record. The judge found no cellphone use or impairment, details that drew national attention because the crash’s consequences were so severe even without alcohol involvement.
After Sidhu received full parole in 2023, the Immigration and Refugee Board ordered deportation the following year. The order tied to his sentence exceeding six months, which made him ineligible as a permanent resident, according to the account provided by Greene.
A PRRA, or Pre-Removal Risk Assessment, is part of Canada’s removal process that can temporarily halt deportation during its review. With that application rejected, the pause tied to the PRRA ended, leaving Sidhu facing imminent removal unless another step intervenes.
Greene said he plans to request a deferral while pursuing a separate application to restore Sidhu’s permanent resident status on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. He framed the request as a way to prevent family separation.
Sidhu has two children, Greene said, including one child with complex medical issues. Greene said the family is stressed and that Sidhu has been in ongoing psychological counseling.
Greene said Sidhu relives the crash, and described him as unforgiven by himself even though some victims’ families have offered forgiveness. Greene also said he is considering a PRRA appeal.
Any further legal action, including a deferral request or a PRRA-related step, does not guarantee removal will stop. Greene’s estimate of “two to three months” depended on whether a deferral is granted.
Reactions among families of those killed in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash have remained divided, with some seeking deportation as a form of accountability and closure and others emphasizing forgiveness and reconciliation.
Chris Joseph of St. Albert, Alberta, whose 20-year-old son Jaxon died, said deportation would help him move forward.
“This would be a big chapter for us. If we lose everything else but he gets deported that might be the only thing that gives us a little bit of peace. that might be the only thing that even begins my forgiveness journey,” Joseph said.
Other families have taken a different path. Prior coverage noted that Scott Thomas, the father of victim Evan Thomas, forgave Sidhu, met him, and provided a pendant with Evan’s jersey number 17.
For now, Greene said, the PRRA denial puts removal into motion, with deportation possible in “two to three months” unless a deferral or other court-related step pauses the process.
Deportation Cleared After PRRA Denial for Jaskirat Singh Sidhu in Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash April 6, 2018
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has cleared Jaskirat Singh Sidhu for deportation to India by rejecting his risk assessment. Sidhu was convicted for the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash that killed 16 people. While his lawyer pursues humanitarian appeals due to family health concerns, the denial ends the automatic stay on his removal. The decision continues to evoke divided emotional responses from the victims’ families.
