Barkhad Abdi ‘Captain Phillips’ Star Drew Attention Of Immigration Officials After Awards Travel; Oscar Nominee & U.S. Permanent Resident Flagged; No Deportations

Barkhad Abdi of “Captain Phillips” fame was earlier in the news for an immigration issue. A report noted that the Somali actor, who gained international recognition for his role in the film, was stopped briefly by a U.S. customs official last February. He was en route back to America after attending awards shows abroad.

According to the Star Tribune, citing a local federal source familiar with the case, the 28-year-old actor is a U.S. permanent resident, but several criminal offenses have caused the actor to be flagged when he was returning to the States. Nonetheless, there will be no deportations for the Oscar nominated performer.

Abdi faces a possible hearing with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which stopped him after he returned from accepting a BAFTA Award for Supporting Actor. BAFTA is the equivalent of the U.S.’s AMPAS, the award-giving body that organizes the Academy Awards.

One of his offenses included a drug arrest in August 2012 in Iowa for possession of marijuana and khat. The actor was also arrested on suspicion of credit card fraud in North Dakota and Minnesota. Though the arrests and offenses were all minor, any sort of drug offense can lead to immigration against him, noted the Star Tribune.

Abdi, who came to the U.S. from Somalia via Yemen when he was 14 years old Yemen, is unlikely to be deported. Federal immigration authorities have shown little appetite for making a move for any but the most serious offenses, the federal source said.

The newly-minted international actor is reported to be splitting time between Los Angeles and Minneapolis and could not be reached for comment. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection regional office in Detroit did not return requests for comment, Star Tribune reported.

Abdi answered an open call for the “Captain Phillips” role where he got casted as the lead Somali pirate. He has never denied his past. In February, the actor told the Daily Beast: “Our mistakes shape us. You make a mistake and it makes you a better person. You learn from it. I wasn’t a complete man.”

Star Tribune noted that It’s unclear if his current situation with the federal authorities will have an impact on some of his activities in Minnesota and in his acting career in Hollywood. Abdi threw out the first pitch for the Minnesota Twins home opener and is a pitchman for MNsure, the state’s health insurance marketplace.