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Laotian refugee Ky Sengdara released after conviction overturned, deportation terminated.

Mar 2026 · Tacoma, WA, Laos

Laotian refugee Ky Sengdara released after conviction overturned, deportation terminated.

Ky Sengdara, a Laotian refugee who arrived in the U.S. in 1981 with a green card, was detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma after ICE requested a check-in. He faced a decades-old deportation order stemming from a 1999 drug conviction. For over 20 years, Laos had refused to accept deportees, but under Trump administration pressure, Laos began accepting deportations. Sengdara's lawyers discovered he was not informed of immigration consequences at his guilty plea, leading to conviction overturn and restoration of his green card status. An immigration judge terminated the deportation case, and Sengdara was released after months in custody.

Timeline

Mar 2026ICE detained Sengdara at Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma after requesting check-in
2026Sengdara's lawyers discovered he was not informed of immigration consequences at guilty plea; conviction overturned and green card status restored
2026Immigration judge terminated deportation case; Sengdara released after months in detention
1999Sengdara convicted on drug charges; deportation order issued

Sources

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