Fears stir in Vietnamese community that US seeks more refugee deportations

WESTMINSTER, CA - APRIL 28: A statue depicting an American and South Vietnamese soldier is surrounded by American and old-style Vietnamese flags at the Vietnam War Memorial on April 28, 2005 near the Little Saigon section in Westminster, California. Vietnamese-Americans are preparing to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the fall of the US-backed Saigon government on April 30. Little Saigon, the nation's largest Vietnamese business district, was populated by large numbers of Vietnamese refugees, many of whom were "boat people" refugees, in the late 1970's and 1980's. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Advocates for the Vietnamese American community say they fear the Trump administration may be negotiating with Vietnam to take back thousands of refugees who came to the U.S. decades ago.

They say many arrived as children or teens but later ran afoul of the law, making them deportable. U.S. officials have been pushing to deport those who have been convicted of crimes and have a final removal order.

A spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the agency does not comment on ongoing diplomatic negotiations.

Guests:

Krishnadev Calamur, foreign policy reporter at The Atlantic; he co-wrote the story on the Vietnamese deportation efforts; he tweets

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Anh Do, reporter at the Los Angeles Times who covers Asian American issues and Orange County news

Phi Nguyen, litigation director for Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta, a legal advocacy organization

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports tighter controls on immigration; he tweets

Tweets by MarkSKrikorian