Mother deported to Laos after lifelong fight for a better future in the US
- Ma Yang, a mother of five, was detained and deported to Laos after spending her life in the United States as a refugee.
- The Trump administration has ramped up deportations to Southeast Asia, affecting hundreds of former refugees.
- Yang's situation underscores the need for accountability for the treatment of refugees and the impact of US immigration policy.
Laos, a small Southeast Asian country, became the unwilling destination for Ma Yang, a 37-year-old mother of five, who was forcibly deported after being detained in the United States. Yang's parents fled Laos four decades back due to the war and sought refuge in the US where she was born. Under the Trump administration, there was a significant increase in deportations to Southeast Asian countries, with hundreds of individuals, many of whom were former refugees, being removed from the US. Advocates reported that a striking number of these deported individuals had criminal backgrounds and faced deportation as a result of legal directives. Yang’s specific case gained attention as she was born in a refugee camp and thus does not hold citizenship in Laos, rendering her stateless upon deportation. Her situation reflects broader immigration policies that have evolved since the return of Donald Trump to office, prioritizing the deportation of individuals considered removable even when they pose no direct threat to society. As deportations intensified, Yang and her family struggled with the loss of stability and the emotional toll of separation from loved ones. Her own children have created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for legal support to assist in reuniting her with them in the US. This complex situation highlights a significant issue of accountability regarding refugee statuses and the harsh realities faced by many who flee from war and conflict only to find their status jeopardized in a country they call home.