Barkhad Abdi “Captain Phillips” star was in the news several months ago for being flagged by immigration officials during a February entry to the U.S. The Somali actor was a contender for supporting actor awards in almost all the award shows and was on his way back from one of the events. The news came after a story unveiled that the actor is reportedly broke, having spent the $65,000 he was paid for his role in Captain Philllips.

Despite all the bad press, the events that were in the news did not stall Abdi’s career success. The breakway star is currently directing a film entitled, “Ciyaalka Xaafada” He has also been cast in a new movie “The Place That Hits The Sun.”

Immigration woes

Abdi was on his way back to the States after attending an awards show abroad. A federal source suggested that deportation for the U.S. permanent resident is highly unlikely.

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.

$65,000 talent fee gone

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.”

The Hollywood Reporter broke the story on the actor being shuffled from one awards show to the next on loaned clothes, a provided car, and per diem allowance. The report indicated that he received $65,000 for his role as Somali ship hijacker and pirate leader Abduwali Muse and was said to have spent all of it.

“When Abdi is in Los Angeles to promote the film, he subsists on a per diem, the town car is available only for official publicity events. His clothes are loaners,” the New Yorker reported