This morning at 10 a.m., five groups will hold a news conference in Vancouver to explain why they're happy about the cancellation of a locally shot television series.

End Border Security Campaign, End Immigration Network, No One is Illegal, Sanctuary Health, and the B.C. Civil Liberties Agreement were all involved in a campaign against Border Security: Canada's Front Line.

The TV reality program showed how Canadian Border Security Agency officials dealt with undocumented migrants and searched for smuggled goods.

Federal privacy commissioner Daniel Therrrien has ruled that the agency acted illegally by violating the privacy of Oscar Mata Duran, who was filmed on the show at his Vancouver workplace.

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association brought forward the complaint on behalf of Duran, who was deported to Mexico in 2013. 

“[I]n large part due to the context in which filming occurs, individuals are not providing full and informed consent to the disclosure of their personal information, as would be required by the [Privacy] Act,” Therrien wrote. “[I]ndividuals from countries with different legal systems may feel that they have to comply with uniformed individuals and have no choice but to sign documents presented to them. Moreover, individuals being detained or facing the prospect of deportation may not be in the best frame of mind to provide informed and free consent.”

The CBSA has decided that it will no longer participate in the program, which has aired on Global TV and National Geographic Channel. The next episode will be broadcast on National Geographic Channel on Tuesday (June 14).

“I feel happy that my complaint proceeded and was successful after three years," Duran said in a news release issued this morning. "I am grateful to everyone who fought for the rights of people like me. I am hopeful that Canada will be more accepting of migrants and refugees. I would love to be back. We are people seeking better and safer lives and should not be treated as illegal.”

Vancouver lawyer Zool Suleman acted for Duran.

“CBSA needs independent public oversight now, not tomorrow," Suleman said in the news release. "The TV show producers should be ashamed. Both CBSA and the producers need to publically apologize for their conduct.”

Border Security was produced by Vancouver-based Force Four Entertainment. In the first two seasons, it focused on CBSA officials in the Lower Mainland. In season three, it ventured east to show what happened at checkpoints in Southern Ontario, including at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The news release also quoted indigenous woman Diana Thompson, whose husband Tulio was filmed during the reality show before he was deported to Honduras on March 27, 2013.

“This is actually difficult news for us to hear given all the hardship our family suffered,” Thompson said. “CBSA should never have been involved with a show that exploits families pain in the first place. We are grateful for all our supporters that stood with us for three years.”

No One Is Illegal declared in the statement that "deportation is not entertainment".

The news release also noted that 24,000 people signed petitions and more than 250 actors, directors, screenwriters, authors, producers, and musicians signed a statement criticizing the show.

Among them was Marcus Youssef of Vancouver's Neworld Theatre.

"This show is predicated on making entertainment out of real migrant suffering while globalization and superpower proxy wars have forced more migrants than ever before to seek refuge," Youssef said in the news release. "It is only surprising to us that it has taken CSBA so long to join artists and migrants across this country in publicly acknowledging how deeply wrong-headed this show really is."