The federal government wants to deport father to Cambodia. He's never been there

On the morning of August 29, 2016, Chamroeun Phan kissed his daughter Leala on her head as she slept. The Minnesota man left the house without waking her, not knowing it was the last time he’d see her at home for nearly a year.

According to a change.org petition started about his case, Phan stopped that morning at his regular check-in with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement after which he planned to head to his job as an electronics repair technician. But Phan never made it to work.

Now 33 years old, Phan was born in a Thai refugee camp to parents fleeing the Cambodian genocide. He came to the U.S. as a refugee when he was 1, the youngest of seven siblings. But in 2009, Phan smashed the windows of a bar, an aggravated felony. According to City Pages, he caused about $1,400 worth of damage and was sentenced to 365 days in jail. Although the bar’s owner never filed charges, the offense jeopardized Phan’s permanent resident status, which is awarded to refugees.

He served 40 days in jail and was put on probation, and hasn’t had another offense since. ICE was going to deport Phan in 2013, but couldn’t due to the status of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cambodia. He was allowed to remain free with his wife and daughter Leala, now five years old.

But after arresting him last summer, ICE is renewing its push to deport Phan to Cambodia. He has never set foot in the country.

Phan remains in custody nearly a year after his arrest due to appeals of his case. A Minnesota District Court judge reestablished his permanent resident status and issued a waiver for his release from jail because he’s not committed any additional crimes and his deportation would cause severe hardship to his family. But ICE appealed that decision because of the status of the law regarding aggravated felonies in 2013, when Phan’s deportation order was originally issued.

In addition to supporting his wife and daughter, Phan supports his elderly parents. According to the Asian American Press, both parents suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder from their experiences during the Cambodian genocide.

“We hope that ICE releases him from detention soon to reunite with our family,” Phan’s sister, Montha Chum, told the Asian American Press. “At the same time, our hearts go out to the other families who won’t have the opportunity to fight their case in front of a judge.”

This story was originally published June 30, 2017 at 1:48 PM with the headline "The federal government wants to deport father to Cambodia. He's never been there."