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Maryland mother deported to Vietnam after ICE detention

Nov 19, 2025·Location: Baltimore, MD

Country of origin: Vietnam

Maryland mother deported to Vietnam after ICE detention
Photo via Instagram

Melissa Tran, a Maryland mother who came to the U.S. from Vietnam in the 1990s as a refugee with a Green Card, was deported to Vietnam after being detained by ICE in May. Though a judge ordered her release in October, she still faced deportation due to a 2003 removal order stemming from a 2001 conviction for stealing checks as a teenager. Vietnam had previously refused to accept her, allowing her to remain in the U.S. for over 20 years while completing regular immigration check-ins, until her detention during a check-in in Baltimore.

Timeline

Nov 19, 2025—Melissa Tran deported to Vietnam despite judge's release order
2003—Removal order issued against Melissa Tran
2001—Melissa Tran convicted of stealing checks as a teenager
1990—Melissa Tran came to the U.S. from Vietnam as a refugee with a Green Card
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