In 1999 she won a by-election in York West to replace Sergio Marchi who had accepted an ambassadorial position to the World Trade Organization.

In 2003 her group released an interim report recommending increased Federal support to recognize their economic and social value.

[4] From December 12, 2003 to January 13, 2005 Sgro served as Minister of Citizenship and Immigration in the government of Paul Martin.

Several members of her ministerial staff had filed expense claims to travel to and work in her riding throughout the campaign ending on election day.

New Democratic Party MP Pat Martin also accused Sgro's aides of making threats to deny ministerial permits to his constituents if he criticized her on the stripper controversy.

On January 14, 2005, Sgro resigned from cabinet after further allegations that she had offered to intervene in the immigration hearing of Harjit Singh, a Brampton pizzeria owner, in exchange for free pizza for her campaign staff.

There was some speculation in the media that fellow minister Joe Volpe helped to engineer her resignation given that they had a cool relationship.

Sgro had paid $138,000 to purchase the condo in 2001, and then transferred the title on the property to her children in 2006; she then paid her children $22,000 a year in rent to live in the apartment, violating rules forbidding MPs from claiming expenses on goods or services contracted from family members.

[13] On March 4, 2014, Sgro was re-nominated by acclamation as the Liberal candidate for the renamed riding of Humber River—Black Creek for the next federal election.