A Maryland Mother's Life After Deportation

Mong Tuyen Thi Tran, known as “Melissa,” is a 44-year-old nail salon owner and mother of four whose arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year sparked an outcry in her western Maryland community. She was detained for six months at an ICE detention center, briefly released, then deported to Vietnam, a country she hadn’t lived in since childhood. Her story highlights how longtime residents have been swept up in President Trump’s mass deportation campaign.

The Banner traveled to southern Vietnam to document how Melissa is building a life after deportation and coping with being separated from her loved ones. The trip coincided with when Melissa’s children and husband visited her for the first time.

Melissa’s story reflects the experiences of many Vietnamese immigrants who fled upheaval after the Vietnam War, grew up in the United States, and were forced under the Trump administration to leave the country they considered home. It also shows the emotional toll deportation takes on the loved ones left behind and the difficult decisions they face about their future.