Calls grow to stop holding migrants in prison

Plus, the Toronto cop who stole from dead people and an illegal eviction in London [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Here’s the latest on a Toronto cop who stole a dead woman’s belongings, calls to stop holding migrants in federal prisons and a London homelessness advocate who illegally evicted tenants. DON’T MISS Steve Russell/The Star policing [A family’s “maddening” wait for justice after a Toronto cop stole a dead woman’s credit card]( At the time of her death, Lucinda Lawler had been caring for her husband with dementia, Emily Fagan reports. When photos of Lucinda’s driver’s license and missing credit card were found on the phone of Toronto police officer Boris Borissov years later, her family realized she was also the victim of a shocking crime. Borissov was found guilty last week of a litany of charges, including stealing credit cards from Lucinda and a luxury watch from a man whose death he was investigating. “It is maddening that it took so long,” Lisa Lawler, Lucinda’s sister, told the Star about the four-year wait for justice. [Take a closer look at what happened](. - More: In 2020, Lisa received a call from a nursing home — they were unable to reach Lucinda to let her know her husband was dying. She soon found her 64-year-old sister dead inside her Moore Park home. - What we know: Borissov was among the first officers to arrive on the scene. He found Lucinda’s license and credit card inside her home, taking photos of both. While the family grieved, the dead woman’s missing card was used more than a dozen times across the GTA, racking up $650 in purchases. - ICYMI: [Borissov’s testimony was deemed “completely unworthy of belief”]( and the veteran officer was found guilty of all 15 charges against him.  Anne-Marie Jackson/The Star star exclusive [Former Liberal ministers are urging Trudeau to stop housing migrants in federal prisons]( Two former Liberal cabinet members have joined a chorus of 85 organizations in urging the Trudeau government to axe its plans for holding immigration detainees in federal prisons, Nicholas Keung reports. “We cannot allow unjustified fears and unsubstantiated claims about public security to override our respect for human rights,” former foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy and former justice minister Allan Rock wrote in an open letter released today. They note Canada’s “deadly” immigration detention system led to the deaths of 17 people in detention since 2000. [Here’s what you need to know](. - Wait, what? Instead of ending the practice, Ottawa committed millions in its latest budget to upgrading immigration holding centres and [proposed an amendment allowing “high-risk” immigration detainees to be held in federal jails as a “supplement.”]( - Go deeper: A coroner’s inquest into the death of Abdurahman Ibrahim Hassan, a refugee from Somalia who died in 2015 during his detention at a maximum-security Ontario jail, concluded with 53 recommendations — [including a plea for Ottawa to stop detaining migrants in jails](. Geoff Robins for The Star housing [This man was evicted from his home while the landlord hosted a charity event to end homelessness]( Erwin Long lived a reclusive life in a small London duplex — the only place he could afford on the $550 disability pension he received each month since dislocating his hip and injuring his back in a workplace injury. But in 2019, a numbered company bought his home and illegally evicted the 61-year-old, Jessica Burgess reports, leaving him sleeping on the street and bouncing between precarious housing options. Ironically, the sole director of that company — tech entrepreneur Adam Malamis — is a self-described community advocate who launched an annual charity boxing match dubbed “Fight to End Homelessness” the same year he evicted Long. [Here’s how their worlds collided](. - Context: Long’s modest former home has been renovated and listed on short-term rental platforms, including Airbnb, for $110 a night — despite the City of London requiring short-term rental owners to reside in their properties. - More: Even though the Landlord and Tenant Board ruled in Long’s favour, calling the landlord’s actions “deplorable,” Long has yet to receive any of the money he is owed. WHAT ELSE [Israel has moved deeper into Rafah]( while also bombarding northern Gaza. [Ukraine’s army is locked in “fierce” border battles]( amid an ongoing Russian assault. McGill is seeking an injunction to [dismantle a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus](. This B.C. town is preparing for a “last stand” as [wildfires rage across Western Canada](. [Patients are “routinely” being diagnosed with cancer in busy Canadian emergency rooms]( doctors warn. Ontario will soon allow drivers to opt out of some auto insurance coverage to save money. [Should you do it?]( AI is being used to comb through job applications. [Here’s how you can stand out to algorithms](. Planning to sell your cottage before capital gains tax changes kick in? [Here’s how you may be able to keep it in the family](. The buzziest restaurant in Toronto might be this west-end living room. [Peek inside the intimate and ever-changing world of Toronto supper clubs](. Swimming doesn't define Penny Oleksiak. [But it still motivates Canada’s most decorated Olympian](. Inside the NBA draft lottery, where the [Raptors almost lucked into the No. 1 pick](. Forget the Core Four, [how about the Maple Leafs focus on their supporting cast?]( POV R.J. Johnston/The Star [Toronto may be among the “world’s wealthiest cities,” but it sure doesn’t look like it.]( CLOSE-UP Sharon Ramagnano TORONTO: Vivid northern lights lit up the skies over the country this weekend, as seen from this Air Canada flight approaching Toronto Friday night. You might still have a chance to catch the rare event resulting from the strongest geomagnetic storm in over two decades — [but time is running out](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_213652). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. 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