Oscar nominated actor Barkhad Abdi stopped by immigration over ciminal past

Oscar nominated actor and BAFTA winner Somali-born Barkhad Abdi was stopped by immigration on returning to the US last month after he traveled to London to accept his BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for his first movie role in Captain Philips.

The former limo driver was stopped by US customs officials because of his lengthy criminal record which includes drug possession, card fraud and giving police fake name. He was jailed twice for the offences back in 2012.

Star Tribune reports that Barkhad now faces a hearing with Customs and Border protection this week that carries the possibility of deportation. However, a source told the newspaper said it was unlikely that the 28 year old, who is a permanent legal resident in the U.S, would be deported since customs officials usually only do that in the most serious cases.