PRESS RELEASE: Vietnamese American Organization Condemns ICE After Second Vietnamese Death in Custody
Vietnamese American Organization Condemns ICE After Second Vietnamese Death in Custody
Two Vietnamese men died in ICE custody within weeks — community demands justice and accountability
San Jose, CA – The community is outraged by the deaths of two Vietnamese men in ICE custody in 2025: Nhon Ngoc Nguyen in April and Tien Xuan Phan on July 19.
Both men died within weeks of being taken into ICE custody, raising serious concerns about conditions inside detention facilities and the quality of care provided — despite their deep roots in the United States.
These are not isolated incidents. Tien Xuan Phan is the 10th person to die in ICE custody as of July 2025, a staggering reflection of the medical neglect, overcrowding, and systemic abuse embedded in the U.S. immigration detention system. These were preventable deaths.
In public statements, ICE emphasized the men's decades-old criminal convictions but failed to acknowledge their rehabilitation, contributions to their communities, and years of peaceful life in the U.S. These men were refugees of a war the United States helped create and then abandoned — now being abandoned again by the very country that once offered them refuge.
Vietnamese refugees arrived legally in the United States, often as children or young adults. Many faced immense hardship upon resettlement, including language barriers, economic insecurity, limited access to resources or government support, racial discrimination, and the lasting trauma of war and displacement. Some made mistakes in their youth that brought them into contact with the criminal legal system — often without adequate legal representation or support. Yet they served their sentences, rebuilt their lives, and have since become lawful, contributing members of society.
Under the 2008 U.S.–Vietnam repatriation agreement, individuals who arrived before July 12, 1995 were protected from deportation. Many were released into the community in accordance with that agreement. But recently, the federal government has quietly reversed course and escalated enforcement efforts to arrest, detain, and deport individuals it once agreed to protect — as if their rehabilitation and humanity no longer matter.
“No one deserves to be punished multiple times for a mistake they’ve already paid for — and no one should die because of it,” said Quyen Mai, Executive Director of the Vietnamese American Organization (VAO). “These men served their sentences, turned their lives around, and became part of our communities. The U.S. government has no justification for locking them up again, let alone letting them die in its custody. This isn’t just about two lives lost — it’s about an immigration system built on punishment and powered by cruelty. ICE acts without consequence, and every death in its custody is the result of calculated neglect and a government that refuses to value human life.”
We demand:
- Full, independent investigations into all deaths in ICE custody, including those of Tien Xuan Phan and Nhon Ngoc Nguyen
- Restoration of the 2008 U.S.–Vietnam repatriation agreement to protect pre-1995 Vietnamese refugees
- Release of all individuals with medical vulnerabilities
- Real accountability for ICE’s abusive arrest tactics, inhumane detention conditions, medical neglect, and systemic failures
- Reform of the immigration system to establish a pathway that protects refugees and migrants and recognizes their rehabilitation and contributions
We call on elected officials and community advocates to act on these demands — to stand with refugee communities, hold ICE accountable, and ensure no more lives are lost to this inhumane system.
ICE cannot continue rewriting the rules to justify cruelty. These men were not just cases — they were sons, fathers, and war survivors. They deserved better.
###
About VAO | Vietnamese American Organization
VAO | Vietnamese American Organization is a community development nonprofit with a mission to empower individuals to engage, learn, and lead in strengthening their local community through social services, education, leadership, and cultural programming.
In response to increased federal immigration enforcement, VAO is providing Know Your Rights resources, community workshops, training, and direct support for individuals facing deportation through legal assistance, advocacy, and comprehensive case management.
Contact:
VAO | Vietnamese American Organization
Email: info@vaousa.org
Share
