A hearing will be held Friday to determine whether the woman convicted of killing her two young sons should remain in Alberta or be deported back to her native Australia.

An immigration detention review has been set for Allyson McConnell, who drowned her children in a bathtub in 2010. The review is a routine step for the Immigration and Refugee Board to decide whether McConnell should be further detained in Canada.

McConnell was scheduled for early release Thursday after serving two-thirds of a 15-month sentence for manslaughter.

As soon as she served her time, she was automatically transferred into the custody of the Canada Border Services Agency.

But it’s believed that McConnell is still at the Alberta Hospital, a psychiatric institute, where she served her time, pending Friday’s review.

Alberta Justice Minister Jonathan Denis has asked Ottawa to intervene and keep McConnell in the province pending the outcome of the Crown’s appeal of her conviction and sentence.

Spokesperson Josh Stewart said Denis has spoken with federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, who said he will try to help.

Under the Immigration Act, Kenney has the power to grant a stay on deportation, Stewart said.

McConnell was originally charged with second-degree murder. Court heard that she was severely depressed and suicidal when she killed two-year-old Connor and 10-month-old Jayden at their home in Millet, south of Edmonton. She then drove to the city and jumped off a freeway overpass, but survived.

McConnell’s former husband and the father of their two boys, Curtis McConnell, issued statements to the media this week expressing fear that his ex-wife will leave the country and never be heard from again.

"As the father of two murdered children, I think I deserve a phone call explaining what is going on. To this day I am still waiting for that phone call,” he told CTV Edmonton.

“It is a shame that victims of crime must struggle to obtain information like this."

McConnell was originally sentenced to six years in custody, but received credit for time already served.

With a report from CTV Edmonton and files from The Canadian Press