All posts tagged: immigration

FAQ: Breakdown of DHS Visa Sanctions on Laos

What does the recent Department of Homeland Security visa sanction on Laos mean? It doesn’t just impact Lao government officials and their families. As part of ICE’s aggressive tactics against refugees and immigrants, the lives of those who came as refugees with permanent status and have orders of removal (deportation orders) are increasingly threatened, which can signal a larger deportation crisis for nationals of Laos. It’s a popular misconception that an MOU with Laos is necessary for deportation. If we recall what happened to Cambodia, Vietnam and other countries with mass deportations, then we have to be proactive in understanding these policy implications on Lao, Hmong and other ethnic groups from Laos who came to the states. These are the most frequently asked questions from community members below. The FAQ is information gathered from partnering sources and our immigration policy and legal experts. Don’t see your questions answered? Ask in comments or email editor@littlelaos.org and we’ll get them answered. Link to full DHS announcement   What does this announcement mean? On the July 10th, the …

Little Laos Rejects DHS visa sanction against Laos in exchange for accepting deportees

Little Laos Editorial Board and its mother org, The SEAD Project, condemns the latest level of aggression from the Trump administration against Laos and refugees and immigrants from Laos. On Tuesday, July 10th, DHS (Department of Homeland Security) officially issued its first set of visa sanctions on Laos, stating its reason that the Lao government refuses to take back its nationals with deportation orders, also known as final orders of removal. This is the beginning of its sanctions, which targets Lao government officials and their immediate families. The US Embassy in Vientiane has stopped issuing B1, B2, and B1/B2 nonimmigrant visas. While this impacts Lao governmental officials who may be traveling to the US, the announcement incites unnecessary fear and completely fails to inform communities that this policy implication will impact Lao, Hmong and other ethnic groups from Laos who came as refugees with permanent status and had criminal convictions that they’ve already served time for and that this can also include those who are undocumented or simply have expired green cards that they were …