Great news for everyone involved.
After more than 387 days in immigration detention, Chamroeun Phan of Maplewood, MN, came home to his family on Monday. In May, Phan's immigration attorney, Mai Neng Moua, successfully argued that Phan's deportation to Cambodia should be cancelled because of the undue hardship it would cause his family. But the Trump administration appealed the immigration judge's ruling and refused to release him from detention. As part of the #ReleaseMN8 campaign, Phan's release Mondaycame as the result of intense community advocacy and legal challenges.
Montha Chum, Phan's sister and a lead organizer with #ReleaseMN8, stated, "We are so thankful and relieved to have Shorty back home with us." Chum continued, "Chamroeun's release, only by the grace of God, shows the power of community organizing and effective advocacy. The #ReleaseMN8 community, along with our national supporters such as Mijente, Southeast Asian Freedom Network, National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, and Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, stood by us every step of the way, and refused to let Chamroeun be deported without a fight."
Phan added, "God never gave up on me. My family never gave up on me. I can't even express how grateful I am for the community support, from the Twin Cities to all across the country, thank you so much. God is so good!"
