Deportation FAQs

Since March 2025, Ba Lo has  been tracking flights and serving people who are deported to Vietnam. Currently, loved ones may be deported via chartered flights or commercial flights. We gathered the following information from over 15 chartered and commercial flights that we tracked in 2025. 

Chartered Flights

Chartered flights are generally multi-stop flights with Vietnam as the final destination.  These flights can take 30-60 hours to reach Vietnam, and stops along the way may include stops for fuel and to drop off deportees to other countries. Most commonly, we see these flights stop over in India and Laos before arriving in Vietnam. Chartered flights often deport a large number of siblings at once; we have seen up to 157 Vietnamese folks on one flight . On chartered flights, passengers’ hands and feet are often shackled to a chain around the waist, preventing free movement for the duration of the flight. Passengers are often given only bread to eat and are permitted minimal bathroom access. They are not allowed a change of clothes during the flight, nor in the days leading up to the flight. In addition, they are subject to cruel conditions and lack information for days and months leading up to flights.  We ask that all families emotionally prepare for this horrific situation, as best as you can. 

During Trump 2.0, all chartered flights have landed in Hanoi. Upon arrival, Vietnamese authorities will not handcuff you. When you land, accompanying ICE officers will hand you over to Vietnamese authorities. In the airport you will be questioned by Vietnamese immigration officers before being released to home province officials. We have not seen questioning last for more than two hours at the airport. Although it can be alarming, it is important to try to remain calm during questioning; this is a standard part of the  process for the Vietnamese authorities. Authorities from your “home province” will be waiting for your arrival in Hanoi. They will not shackle you. They will organize transportation for you via bus, car, or plane to your home province. This journey can take a few days, depending on the mode of transportation. You are required to pay for your own way to your province. Each province manages its own processes; there is not a streamlined or uniform approach.  In addition, the resettlement process on the Vietnam side is in flux monthly. For support for your specific situation and location, reach out to Ba Lo directly baloproject.org/contact . We can provide your family with an individual prep session which covers: the detention process in the last days, the flight information, the sponsorship situation, province-specific details, and the Căn Cước Công Dân situation. Ba Lo also offers cultural prep for arriving in Vietnam. All prep sessions are provided in both English and Vietnamese.

Commercial Flights

If you are on a commercial flight (flights with the general public), ICE will not use shackles, though ICE agents will escort and monitor you during your travel.  We have consistently seen two ICE agents per person.

If your home city is Saigon, your sponsor can pick you up at Tân Sơn Nhất Airport. If your home city is not Saigon, police will escort you from Tân Sơn Nhất airport to those provinces via car.If you are being deported via a commercial flight and if capacity allows, we can be present at the airport when you land. We can also support your sponsor, who should be there too. We will bring you a backpack, which will contain a new set of underwear and  clothes, key hygiene items, a map, diarrhea medicine, a journal,  Vietnamese cash for food and water, and a fully charged smart phone for you to make immediate contact with your loved ones in the U.S. Please reach out to us at baloproject.org/contact to arrange a time for us to make contact. 

It is important to note that Ba lô cannot act as a sponsor for anyone at this time.

Yes. Your sponsor  needs to be a Vietnamese national. They can be a distant family member, or even a distant friend. Your sponsor will be responsible for you until you receive your permanent identification. As far as we know, a sponsor is liable for all damages  should you break Vietnamese  laws.  

Although there is technically a law that mandates you reside with your sponsor until you receive your national ID (CCCD), the police in many provinces are empathetic to the realities that many sponsors do not have space and that deportees may be estranged from their family. You should ask your own provincial authorities if you can live separately, which has generally been allowed. If allowed, we suggest you live close enough to your sponsor such that they know how and where to reach you for appointments relating to your ID/CCCD process. 

Please note: We have unfortunately seen some provinces detain  individuals who do not have a sponsor. Please reach out to us at baloproject.org/contact for information for your specific province. 

Currently, the Vietnamese government and the relevant authorities in each locality provide initial support to deportees. In addition, there is no other official organization that supports returned community members. Ba Lo is the first and only organization taking on this role due to the distinct nature of civil society in Vietnam. We are doing everything we can. All of our services are free.

We have learned that the Vietnamese government will issue a temporary Vietnamese passport valid for 6 months.

You won’t be given a permanent ID upon arrival, but there are processes to apply for one that varies for each province. 

You will have to go through the formal process of applying for a Vietnamese ID. Most deported siblings have described this as a multi-step process that can take months, with costs at each step. This ID is important, as you can access services (education, healthcare, etc.) only after you have an ID.

1. In order to get an ID, you can head to your province “địa phương,” which is listed as your home province in your Vietnamese paperwork. 

2. You will then apply for your official ID called Căn cước công dân -  Vietnamese ID which has a chip. (This is a newer Vietnamese ID system which took over what is formerly known as chứng minh nhân dân CMND.)

Please note that steps and costs vary. The process of getting an ID depends on your province. However, if your home city on your paperwork is Saigon, you may be provided a “thư mời” (invitation) when you land, which will provide an address of a location where you can get an official ID in the following weeks.

Please see our tips for the CCCD process here.

Yes you can, depending on the hotel. You will likely be able to use your temporary 6-month passport to do so.

Please note that in 2026, Vietnamese laws on renting nha tro and apartments have changed. Owners can now only rent to people with a valid ID. A passport is adequate. However, once that passport expires, an owner may be in violation of laws if they allow you to continue to reside in their accommodation, which can result in them being fined. 

Vietnam is a country where having a smartphone can really help you adjust quickly to everyday life. You can often get free wifi at every business, so the internet is generally not an issue. If you do not have a phone, get a phone when you land. This will be key for your integration and survival. Phones are available on a pay-as-you-go basis to get you started.

There are a number of key apps you will need to navigate Saigon:

1. Grab – This app functions as Uber, and beyond. You can get a ride, order food, transport goods, etc. 

2. WhatsApp - Good app to keep in touch with U.S. folks

3. Zalo - Most popular in Vietnam to communicate with people in-country

4. Messenger - Facebook messenger is also very popular for in-country and abroad communications

5. Signal - Not as popular but key in keeping in touch with impacted people and organizers in the U.S.

Very easy. To get set up with a phone and other important things, you can head to Bùi Viện (known as the backpackers district, which has phones, hotels, and Internet cafes) or any other area with lots of tourists. Prices are high here, but people speak English. Please be careful.

Yes, you can bring the possessions from detention as long as they are not illegal or against policy. Family members can also bring items or small items during visits. ICE will thoroughly inspect all luggage and will provide it to loved ones upon arrival in Vietnam. Please check with ICE staff at the detention center for size and weight limits. 

We have heard that community members are also able to bring money to Vietnam. ICE has issued a check or ATM card  in the past with commissary money that can be cashed in Vietnam. Please check with your detention center. If you don’t trust ICE with your money, transferring money via Western Union to VN is very easy.

This is one of the most common concerns for our impacted siblings. On the one hand, no one wants to be deported. But on the other hand  no one wants to endure the cruelty and inhumanity of ICE detentions either.

In order to “self-repatriate” or “self-deport,” it is absolutely necessary to obtain a Vietnamese passport. Without a passport, you won’t be able to travel. Many people have asked how to obtain their Vietnamese passport from the Embassy so that they can book a ticket to self-repatriate. 

If you are already detained in ICE custody, it is not possible to self-deport at this time. A temporary passport (often called a travel document)  will only be issued through the diplomatic process between ICE and the Vietnamese Embassy and Ministry of Public Safety in Vietnam. This process of obtaining travel documents is often triggered once you are in ICE custody.  It may take up to more than 90 days for Vietnam to issue the temporary passport. In some cases, the process can take much longer, or the Vietnamese government may decline to issue a travel document.

If you are not detained, there is a chance you may be able to apply for a Vietnamese  passport.   If you have an expired Vietnamese passport that you  wish to renew to self-deport, you may be able to successfully do this through the Vietnamese Embassy. On the other hand, if you have never had a Vietnamese passport, you may be able to apply for one, depending on a number of factors, including whether you have a birth certificate, whether your birth was registered with the local authorities, and whether you still have blood relatives in Vietnam. This process may take up to 6-12 months and may require providing additional documentation and verification of your identity and family ties in Vietnam if the Vietnamese Embassy/Ministry of Public Safety requests it. 

It is important to speak with an attorney or someone familiar with Vietnamese naturalization and repatriation laws about the possibility of applying for a passport with the Vietnamese Embassy.  Please contact us directly if you are in this situation and would like to know more. 

Please have your family contact us by filling out the form on www.baloproject.org/contact or emailing us directly at baloprogram@gmail.com. We support everyone who needs it, no matter the province. 

If you were already deported to Vietnam months or years ago and  would like to connect with us, you may also contact us.  A large part of our work has also been to meet deportees one-on-one for coffee and a friendly connection. We can help guide you through the ID process; support you through  culture shock; share workforce and housing opportunities; and  provide additional mutual aid support in vulnerable situations.

Many people have sponsors on paper, but these are not meaningful relationships. Often we see that sponsors are family members who have not been in contact with deportees for decades,  if at all. So even if you have a sponsor, Ba Lô will come as backup and be ready for you at Tân Sơn Nhất Airport. We will also  remain in contact with your family Stateside as you land.

Please reach out to us as soon as you can. We need your help to manage the volume adequately.