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Vietnamese man held in South Sudan for over a year returns to Vietnam after deportation

Jun 19, 2026 · Juba, SS, Vietnam

Vietnamese man held in South Sudan for over a year returns to Vietnam after deportation

Tuan Phan, a 44-year-old Vietnamese national, was deported to South Sudan in July 2025 by the Trump administration under a third-country deportation program. Phan had immigrated to the U.S. as a child, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2000 for a gang-related killing, and was taken into ICE custody upon completing his sentence in March 2025. A federal judge initially blocked his deportation, but the Supreme Court later approved it. Phan was held in a gated, armed compound in Juba for over a year alongside seven other men with criminal convictions. He was repatriated to Vietnam on June 19, 2026, becoming the second person from the group to be returned to his home country.

Timeline

Jun 19, 2026Phan repatriated to Vietnam after over a year detained in armed compound in Juba
Jul 2025Phan deported to South Sudan under third-country deportation program; eight men total transferred despite initial federal court block and subsequent Supreme Court approval
Mar 2025Tuan Phan taken into ICE custody upon completion of his 25-year prison sentence

Sources

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