Vietnamese Immigrants File Suit Over Continued Detention

Vietnamese immigrants being held in detention pending deportation proceedings have filed suit against the U.S. government in a federal district court in Southern California. In their class action lawsuit, the immigrants are claiming that the government is targeting them for detention and deportation, despite the fact that the Vietnamese government has not agreed to take the individuals back from the U.S. Currently, Vietnam only has agreed to take back those individuals who arrived in the U.S. after the two countries renewed their diplomatic relations, back in 1995. However, lawyers for the detained Vietnamese immigrants are claiming that the U.S. government has begun arresting and detaining immigrants who arrived in the U.S. from Vietnam prior to 1995 in an attempt to pressure the Vietnamese government to repatriate more immigrants. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 1.3 million Vietnamese immigrants currently live in the U.S., many of whom entered the country after the fall of Saigon in 1975. It is estimated that about 10,000 Vietnamese immigrants have deportation orders; some of these immigrants lost their green cards following criminal convictions in the U.S. While in the past, the U.S. government generally refrained from detaining and deporting immigrants who arrived in the U.S. prior to 1995 due to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling concerning the matter, this no longer appears to be the case. Last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began arresting Vietnamese immigrants who have been living in the U.S. well prior to 1995, which is not in line with the country’s repatriation agreement. At Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C., we care about you, and we want to help you preserve your home in the United States. If you or a family member fears deportation, you need to speak with an experienced immigration attorney right away. We focus our law practice solely on deportation defense cases, which allows us to focus all of our efforts in standing up for the rights of those who are facing potential deportation. Our California deportation defense lawyers know how to gather persuasive evidence to support your case and we know all of the procedural ins and outs of the U.S. deportation system. Allow us to handle your deportation case by contacting us today to schedule an appointment.