Fled to America at 11. Stole at 18. Deported to Vietnam at 44.

The Trump administration deported Vietnamese, Laotian, and Hmong nationals in 2025 and early 2026, according to Department of Homeland Security data. Many deportees arrived in the United States as refugees following the Vietnam War and later faced criminal convictions. Vietnam, Laos, and Hmong-majority regions had previously not accepted deportees from the United States, but diplomatic agreements signed in 2024 and 2025 enabled these deportations to resume. The deportations included individuals with lengthy U.S. residency histories and family connections in the country.

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