In May, two Providence men were arrested and sent to Laos, leaving their spouses feeling hopeless and without a way out.
This year was the first time Cassie Souvannaxa and Tina Phommachan had a close relationship. When they began going to see their spouses at the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, which houses federal inmates, that changed.
Before it was time for us to enter and see our boys, Tina added, we would chat and speak.
Both of their husbands entered the country as refugees as minors in the 1980s. Their families were escaping the Vietnam War-related turmoil in Laos.
Both men later spent time in a federal prison in the United States as minors. Each had a standing deportation order when they were released, so they had no obvious route to citizenship. They seem to have been caught up in the Trump Administration’s drive to deport non-citizens because of this.
Before President Trump’s second term began, Tina said she was taken aback when she found out that her husband, Manoutham Phommachan, had been arrested after immigration officials showed up at their house at the end of December. Lawyers informed her that there was little she could do to prevent her husband’s deportation.
Vanhhatdy Souvannaxa, Cassie’s husband, was arrested during his yearly check-in with immigration officials, which he had been doing without any problems since he was a teenager. During her husband’s meeting, Cassie waited for him outside the immigration office. However, Vanhhatdy texted her to inform her that he had been arrested and would be sent to the Wyatt Detention Facility.
She stated she couldn’t even hold his hand, even though she was happy to see him at the prison facility.
According to Cassie, it was still challenging to gaze at someone through glass and speak to them on the phone. Someone who has served their sentence yet is still treated like a criminal, you know.
On May 25, Cassie and Tina’s husbands were deported to Laos, joining over 100 other Southeast Asians who had been deported to Vietnam or Laos since the country’s inception. Both men were visiting Laos for the first time. According to Cassie, a Laotian-American, her husband was born in a Thai refugee camp.
Cassie claimed that since they left when he was just a baby, he essentially knows nothing about it. Thus, he has never visited Laos before.
Tina, a Cambodian-American, said it had been difficult to be apart from her spouse.
I began to feel really alone. Tina added, “You know, we’ve never been apart.” I was unable to speak to anyone. Without him there, I was powerless. It has been somewhat challenging.
Both women are full-time healthcare workers, but they have less support to take care of their kids and pay their bills because their husbands were sent to Laos. Cassie claimed that the circumstance has been causing her daughter worry and that she regularly needs to rely on family members for assistance.
Cassie stated that she is attempting to be mindful of the fact that everyone is busy and that she does not like to interrupt others. She is only a child, though.
Despite everything, Tina and Cassie still communicate or hang out almost daily.
Tina stated, “I wouldn’t be able to be strong and do things every day if I didn’t have her every day.” I feel better just by chatting to her.
Some days were so difficult, according to Cassie, that she almost gave up on ever seeing her husband again.
I gave up on one particular day. “I’m not doing this anymore,” I thought. Cassie declared, “I’m over this.” I was guided through it by [Tina]. She got me through it.
Tina claimed that if it weren’t for Theary Voeul, the director of Deportation Defense for the Provision Youth Student Movement (PrYSM), an immigrant aid group that supports Southeast Asians, she would not have even been aware of her husband’s arrival in Laos. According to Voeul, PrYSM receives new instances almost daily and is assisting the families of 89 individuals who have been detained by immigration officials.
According to Voeul, U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement picks up someone every week. We transitioned from helping affected members develop their leadership abilities to providing quick response services, which included matching people with attorneys, assisting families in navigating the legal system, and helping families raise money for legal bills. It has been a difficult period.
According to Tina, Laos doesn’t seem to have the infrastructure needed to take in deported immigrants. Since their husbands’ detention, Voeul and PrYSM have been assisting the women in navigating the immigration procedure. Cassie added that having Tina at her side is beneficial.
“It provides some solace,” Cassie remarked. being aware that you’re not alone. There is someone you can sort of rely on, you know.
Tina and Cassie are currently visiting their husbands in Laos. The ladies, who were born and raised in the United States, say they are afraid of uprooting their family, but they are unsure if their husbands will be able to return. In any case, they are working together to overcome the challenges as they arise.
The Public’s Radio was the first to publish this story. As part of the New England News Collaborative, it was shared.
