A teenaged brother and sister facing deportation to Costa Rica pleaded with officials Monday to let them stay in Canada to complete their school year.

"There are things (the Canada Border Services Agency) don't understand," Kimberly Lizano-Sossa, 15, said as she stood beside her brother Gerald, 14.

"We're a hard-working family and (we want officials) to look into their hearts and let us stay in this country, achieve our goals."

The teens were pulled out of their Toronto high school last month by immigration officials and put in a van with their mother, two-year-old sister and grandparents. Their father was at work at the time and faces an outstanding warrant.

Immigration officials have offered to immediately remove either the father or mother to ensure the whole family will ultimately leave the country, but opposition MPs have said that is unacceptable.

Kimberly, who along with her brother is back in school, said her mother's continued detention has been hard on her baby sister.

"My sister has been having a hard time trying to understand why she hasn't seen my mom for more than a week already," she said.

Immigration consultant MacDonald Scott, who is representing the family, said they are asking for a small concession.

"Just to let the two kids and their parents stay here until the end of June so they can complete their school year," Scott said. ``Even that is being met with resistance by the Canada Border Services Agency."

Two Liberal MPs - Andrew Telegdi and Borys Wrzesnewskyj - have offered to post bond so the family can remain in Canada until the school year is complete.

The family came to Canada as visitors in 2001 and filed a refugee claim, which was rejected. When they failed to show up for a deportation flight on Feb. 16, a warrant was issued.