Deportation Amidst Legal Challenge
Chanthila “Shawn” Souvannarath, a 44-year-old father residing in Alabama, was deported to Laos on Friday, October 24, 2025, despite a federal court order issued the day prior blocking his removal. Souvannarath's attorneys announced the deportation on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, calling it a 'stunning violation of a federal court order'.
U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, had issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday, October 23, 2025, explicitly prohibiting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from removing Souvannarath from the United States for 14 days. The judge's order aimed to allow Souvannarath to present what she described as his 'substantial claim of U.S. citizenship'.
Contesting Citizenship and ICE's Stance
Souvannarath was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and was granted lawful permanent residence in the U.S. before his first birthday. He claims U.S. citizenship through his father, a naturalized U.S. citizen, asserting that he met the requirements for derivative citizenship at the time. Souvannarath has lived in the United States since infancy and stated in a letter from immigration detention, 'I continuously lived in the United States since infancy, and I have always considered myself an American citizen.'
ICE detained Souvannarath in June 2025 during a routine immigration check-in in Alabama, where he had been living with his family. He was subsequently held at a newly opened ICE facility at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that the judge's order was 'not served' to ICE until after Souvannarath had already been deported. McLaughlin also asserted that Souvannarath 'lost his green card' and was ordered to be deported in 2006 following convictions for 'heinous crimes'—assault and unlawful possession of a firearm—in 2004. DHS labeled him a 'criminal illegal alien' and maintained 'there was no mistake' in his deportation.
Reactions and Legal Implications
The deportation has drawn strong criticism from legal organizations. The ACLU of Louisiana, which represents Souvannarath, called the deportation 'unlawful' and a 'stunning violation of a federal court order'. Alanah Odoms, executive director for the ACLU of Louisiana, stated, 'ICE just ignored a federal court order and tore yet another family apart.' Nora Ahmed, legal director of the ACLU of Louisiana, described it as a 'catastrophic failure of the immigration system and a flagrant violation of constitutional rights.'
Judge Dick, in her ruling, had emphasized the 'irreparable harm that would be caused by immediate deportation' and noted that Souvannarath would be 'unable to effectively litigate his case from Laos'. Souvannarath's wife, Beatrice Souvannarath, expressed her distress, telling the Associated Press, 'It is very unfortunate, especially for the children that we have together.'
5 Comments
Leonardo
How can someone claim citizenship if they're illegally deported? It's a travesty.
Bermudez
Tearing families apart and violating human rights. Shameful.
anubis
This is a blatant disregard for the rule of law and court orders. Unacceptable!
paracelsus
Our justice system is failing if court orders mean nothing to federal agencies.
anubis
ICE claims they weren't served in time, which might be a procedural issue. Still, the judge clearly saw a 'substantial claim' to citizenship, and that should have been honored before removal.