What Happened to Jaskirat Singh Sidhu?

Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, an Indian-origin permanent resident of Canada, became a central figure in one of Canada's deadliest road accidents on April 6, 2018. While driving a semi-trailer truck for Adesh Deol Trucking, Sidhu failed to stop at a flashing stop sign at a rural intersection near Tisdale, Saskatchewan, colliding with a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team. The collision resulted in the deaths of 16 people and injuries to 13 others.

The crash was attributed to Sidhu's inattention and lack of experience. He was on only his second solo long-haul trip after limited training, and a protective tarp on his double trailer had come loose, causing him to repeatedly check his rear mirrors and miss crucial road signs. Investigations also revealed that Adesh Deol Trucking, the company that hired Sidhu, had accumulated 70 violations of federal and provincial trucking regulations in the 11 days leading up to the tragedy, suggesting systemic safety failures.

Sidhu pleaded guilty to 16 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and 13 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily injury in January 2019, stating he wanted to spare the victims' families the pain of a lengthy trial. In March 2019, he was sentenced to eight years in prison, the longest sentence in Canadian history for dangerous driving causing death without aggravating factors like impairment or intent. He began serving his sentence and was granted day parole in July 2022, followed by full parole in January 2023.

However, due to his criminal conviction and non-citizen status, deportation proceedings began. In May 2024, the Immigration and Refugee Board revoked Sidhu's permanent resident status and ordered his deportation, citing "serious criminality." Sidhu's legal team, led by Michael Greene, has been fighting this order, applying for a pre-removal risk assessment and seeking to have his permanent resident status re-established on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Greene argues that Sidhu is well-established in Canada, has a Canadian wife and two young children (one with a severe lung condition), and that deportation would cause significant hardship and negatively impact his mental health, as he has been diagnosed with PTSD and major depressive disorder.

As of February 4, 2026, Sidhu's pre-removal risk assessment was rejected, bringing him one step closer to deportation. In March 2026, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) requested his travel documents to initiate the removal process, indicating that deportation could occur within weeks or months. The case has sparked public debate, with some victims' families advocating for his deportation, while others, and some political commentators, argue he has served his time and should be allowed to remain with his family. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has stated that "the law is clear" and Sidhu should be deported.