US Father Deported to Laos Despite Court Order Claiming Citizenship

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Immigration officials have deported a father living in Alabama to Laos despite a federal court order blocking his removal from the U.S. on the grounds he has a claim to citizenship, the man’s attorneys said Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick last week ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to keep Chanthila “Shawn” Souvannarath, 44, in the United States while he presented what the judge called his “substantial claim of U.S. citizenship,” court records show. He was born in a refugee camp in Thailand but was granted lawful permanent residence in the U.S. before his first birthday, according to court filings.

But Souvannarath on Sunday messaged his wife on WhatsApp and told her he was in Dongmakkhai, Laos. The message ends with “love y’all.”

“It is very unfortunate, especially for the children that we have together,” Beatrice Souvannarath told AP.

The ACLU of Louisiana, which is representing Souvannarath, called the deportation a “stunning violation of a federal court order.” The deportation comes as Trump administration officials have repeatedly clashed with the courts over their attempts to deport large numbers of immigrants.

“ICE just ignored a federal court order and tore yet another family apart,” said Alanah Odoms, executive director for the ACLU of Louisiana. “This administration has shown it will ignore the courts, ignore the Constitution and ignore the law to pursue its mass deportation agenda, even if it means destroying the lives of American citizens.”

Souvannarath had been detained at a newly opened ICE facility before the removal. He spent most of his childhood living with his parents in Hawaii, Washington state, and California, claiming citizenship based on his father's status as a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Judge Dick issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday, intending to prevent immediate deportation due to the “irreparable harm” it would cause. She emphasized the significant public interest that weighs against the government's actions in potential citizen removals.