What to do when facing deportation to Laos or Cambodia from the Central Valley
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Trump administration increases deportation pressure on Southeast Asians
- Legal groups advise families to gather paperwork, seek qualified attorneys
- Advocates stress caution with online advice and unregulated immigration services
Hmong and other Southeast Asian communities are experiencing new threats of deportation under the Trump administration.
Immigration lawyers, Asian civil rights organizations and immigrant- and refugee-serving nonprofits say the community is facing new challenges, as President Donald Trump has pressured some Southeast Asian countries to receive Hmong and other individuals facing deportation, where these individuals previously had regular ICE-check-ins in lieu of deportations.
“I think it’s always good to hope for the best, but still prepare for the worst,” said Tilman Jacobs, supervising attorney for immigrant rights with the Asian Law Caucus, the country’s oldest Asian American civil rights organization.
The Asian Law Caucus has a guide for Southeast Asian Refugees facing deportation available in several different languages.
Collective Freedom, an organization that supports deported and formerly incarcerated Southeast Asian individuals, also has guidance for anyone facing deportations to Vietnam and Laos.
Legal aid organizations and immigrant-serving nonprofits suggest several ways that families can prepare if a loved one faces a deportation order.
This information is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice.
Find a trusted, vetted lawyer to look at your immigration case
Exercise extreme caution before turning to social media sites such as TikTok and Youtube for immigration legal advice.
And be careful if you seek immigration consultant or notary services, which can often involve scams or fraud. Read The State Bar of California’s guidance on what immigration consultants can and cannot do, which is available in several languages including Vietnamese.
Ask a trusted nonprofit in your community that works with lawyers for lists of trusted immigration lawyers, such as The Fresno Center, the Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative in Fresno or the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice.
“Before either not doing anything or just looking up a YouTube video, consult with a lawyer,” Jacobs said.
If you are a California resident seeking legal advice regarding a removal order, you can contact the Asian Law Caucus at 415-896-1701 or using their contact form. If you live outside of California, please refer to the National Immigration Legal Services Directory.
Can my immigration case be reopened?
The Asian Law Caucus is available to consult with people, especially those who have a final order of removal. The group’s team of lawyers can help assess whether an immigration case could be reopened.
“It’s worth while seeing what the reality is of their situation, but also whether there are some options, because the laws have changed in over the years,” Jacobs said.
“Especially people who had old convictions, those convictions might no longer be a basis for removal (deportation), even if they were at that time,” Jacobs said.
Thao Ha, founder of Collective Freedom, also recommended having all of your immigration paperwork in order to be prepared to talk to a lawyer.
Ha suggested filing a Freedom of Information Act request with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ensure you have all possible records related to your own case that you may need.
“Be prepared with that if you think that you have a legal route,” she said. “But it also helps to determine if you don’t have any legal remedy.”
Have lawyer, faith leader accompany you to ICE check-in
Some Hmong and Southeast Asians have been picked up by ICE at their annual or biannual check-ins, lawyers and advocates say. But the Asian Law Caucus is advising clients to attend these check-ins.
Jacobs said to ask a lawyer to accompany you for the check-in “can make the process less scary.”
Sometimes ICE will also let faith leaders like clergy accompany people to their check-ins, too.
Prepare key legal, financial paperwork in advance
Jacobs advises families prepare essential paperwork and other legal needs — especially if the family member facing deportation is the head of the family.
- Consider transferring title of properties, such as a home or car.
- Secure access to important financial, bank accounts.
- Give power of attorney to parent who will remain in the U.S.
Applying for something, such as a child’s passport, often requires both parents’ signatures, Jacobs said.
“It’s things that people don’t think about,” he said. “But just preparing for for these things is difficult but important.”
Secure “A-number” information
Ha said it’s essential to have your loved one’s A-Number.
Also called the “Alien Registration Number,” this unique seven-, eight- or nine-digit number assigned by the Department of Homeland Security is key to locate your loved one. (See also USCIS number).
This number will allow you to locate them in a detention facility, load money into their commissary account, or to set-up registration for communications such as phone calls and messages.
Trying to find a loved one deported to Laos?
Some people are being deported to Laos even if they don’t have connections, family or citizenship in Laos.
Laos doesn’t have a locator website to find a deported loved one, Ha said. And individuals deported to Laos are held in a detention facility until their cases are processed and they are released to a sponsor.
Ha said her team on the ground has access to information, such as a manifest of the flight log, and can verify if someone is detained in Laos.
“Usually, in the past, it was very restrictive. They couldn’t call their families,” Ha said of the people in Laos facility. “Now they’re letting them call their families. So be patient. You’ll likely hear from your loved one very soon.”
Ha also urged patience because policies and processes are rapidly changing.
If you don’t hear from your loved one, Collective Freedom can help track them down with their team members based in Laos. The organization would need a full name, date of birth, and an A number if available, in case of name duplicates, to help locate someone.
Get in touch with them using their Contact Us form.
