Jan. 6 rioter detained in Canada drops asylum claim

The lawyer for an American man who sought asylum in Canada says his client is withdrawing his claim and wants to go home.

Antony Vo was convicted on four misdemeanour offences for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. He was sentenced to nine months in prison and was supposed to begin serving that sentence last June. Instead he came to Canada to seek asylum from what he said was political persecution.

Three weeks ago he was arrested (new window) in Whistler, B.C., by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) because, the agency said, it had no record of Vo entering Canada at any official port of entry. He’s been detained ever since.

Vo’s lawyer, Robert Tibbo, says his client was among the Jan. 6 rioters who were recently pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump, which is why he’s dropping his asylum claim and wants to return home.

But the CBSA said in a letter to immigration (new window) and refugee officials last week that Vo was not among those pardoned and that this had been confirmed with U.S. officials.

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An American who fled the country after being convicted for his role in the January 6th riot in Washington is now seeking political asylum in Canada. Antony Vo should be serving time in a U.S. federal prison, but instead, he’s spending time in the B.C. mountains. He’s counting on clemency when Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Tibbo insists Vo has been pardoned. He says that, after a delay, he has been able to get Vo the appropriate forms to drop his asylum claim.

Vo wants to go back to the United States today, and there’s no reason why CBSA cannot or should not be allowing him to leave, said Tibbo.

Tibbo says a U.S. arrest warrant for Vo, issued under the Biden administration for his failure to surrender to a corrections facility, has since been quashed because the charge fell under the umbrella of Trump’s pardon. Prior to the pardon, Vo was also seeking an appeal on those convictions.

CBSA did not respond to questions before this story was published.

The agency assesses whether people coming to Canada are legally admissible and investigates those already here who may not be. It can arrest and detain inadmissible individuals under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

This article is republished from RCI.