A growing number of Southeast Asian immigrants in Los Angeles and Orange counties whose deportation orders have been on indefinite hold for years are being detained, and in some cases, deported after showing up for routine check-ins at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices, according to immigrant lawyers and advocacy groups.
The immigrants being targeted are generally people who were convicted of a crime after arriving in the US, making them eligible for deportation after their release from jail or prison.
In most cases, ICE never followed through with the deportations because the immigrants had lived in the US long enough that their home countries no longer recognised them as citizens, or as is the case with Laos, the home country does not readily issue repatriation documents.
They are also afraid to report based on what they have seen on the news
Instead, under long-standing policies, these immigrants have been allowed to remain in the US with the condition that they checked in with ICE agents regularly to show they were working and staying out of trouble. The check-ins generally start out monthly, but over time become an annual visit.
