US deportation: Mother facing long separation from family
What's the story
37-year-old Ma Yang, a Hmong-American woman from Milwaukee, has been deported to Laos by the Trump administration.
The deportation has shaken her to the core as she faces the prospect of living away from her partner and five children in Wisconsin for many years.
The Independent reports that Yang is now staying in a government facility outside Vientiane, the Laotian capital.
In this context, when can the US government deport visa and green card holders?
Background
Yang's journey to the US and legal troubles
Yang was born in a Thai refugee camp and became a permanent US resident.
But her legal status was put in danger after she pleaded guilty to cannabis-related charges and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
She took a plea deal thinking her green card wouldn't be in danger.
Now she is one of those Donald Trump promised to deport during his re-election campaign.
Advocacy
Support for Yang from Hmong rights group
Yang's supporters have confirmed the backing of Hmong American Women's Association, an advocacy group.
Executive director Tammie Xiong said they are assisting her family in the US.
While Yang is still processing things, she is "doing OK for the most part," Xiong added.
However, despite this support, Yang has remained silent on her deportation since Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported it last week.
Adjustment
Yang's life in Laos and health concerns
Yang, who has never visited Laos or known anyone from the Southeast Asian nation, found her American life disrupted when she was ordered to report to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Milwaukee last month.
After being detained and deported to Laos, she spent five days in a rooming house before being allowed by a military officer to leave if she wished.
However, due to fears of navigating an unfamiliar country alone with limited English speakers, Yang chose to remain at the facility.
Future
Legal battle ahead for Yang's return to US
Yang's future in Laos seems bleak, with her attorney hinting at a long fight for her repatriation to the US.
Immigration lawyer Jath Shao told The Independent even if Yang manages to reverse her deportation through the US legal system, she probably won't be permitted back until at least the 2040s.
She would have to wait for at least 10 years outside US to apply for an I-212 waiver of inadmissibility based on extreme hardship, Shao explained.
Impact
Yang's deportation raises concerns about immigration enforcement
Yang's deportation has raised fears among activists about the Trump administration's aggressive stance on immigration enforcement.
Kham S Moua, deputy director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (Searac), condemned Yang's deportation for the toll it takes on families and communities.
He said such extreme measures not only hurt individuals but also tear apart whole families and communities.
Policy changes
Trump administration's stance on immigration enforcement
The Trump administration has indicated a tougher approach to immigration enforcement, impacting both those who entered illegally via the southwest border and those in violation of immigration laws.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the stance, saying "Every day now we are approving visa revocations."
The policy shift comes amid reports of visas being canceled for students accused of promoting pro-Hamas messaging during college campus protests.
Agency involvement
Legal status revocation: Who decides?
Several agencies, including the Border Patrol, ICE, Department of Homeland Security agents, and the State Department, are involved in revoking visas.
Immigration attorney Eliss Taub says green card holders have the right to live permanently in the US as long as they don't do anything that "would make you removable under immigration law."
This includes violating laws and not filing taxes.
Legal violations
Deportation risks for visa and green card holders
Visa and green card holders can be deported or removed if found violating immigration rules or US law.
Stephen Yale-Loehr, a retired immigration professor at Cornell University, explained that the federal government can choose to place an immigrant within the US in removal proceedings that involve a court hearing.
This would entail revocation of their particular visa on various grounds of deportability including criminal convictions, prostitution, and domestic violence.
Deportation fears
Indian visa and green card holders also affected
Indian H-1B visa and Green Card holders have also begun facing unexpected deportations or detention processes.
Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University graduate student from India was detained by federal immigration agents outside his Virginia home.
Suri was placed in deportation proceedings under a rarely-used immigration law provision that allows the Secretary of State to deport noncitizens whose presence threatens US foreign policy.
Deportation order
Trump's latest move affects over 5 lakh immigrants
Trump's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced plans to revoke legal protections for over five lakh immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
However, this new order only applies to those who arrived in the US under the humanitarian parole program in October 2022.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said affected people will lose their legal status on April 24, one month after the notice is published in the Federal Register.