Deportation FAQs

If you are on a commercial flight (flights with the general public)  ICE does not shackle deportees. ICE Agents will escort and monitor you during your flight. We have consistently seen 2 deportation officers per person.

For siblings on chartered flights, we are seeing mechanical shackling on the hands and feet for the duration of the flight — in addition to cruel conditions, and lack of information for days and months leading up to flights.

Regardless of if you are flying on a chartered or commercial flight, upon arrival Vietnamese authorities will not handcuff you. When you land, US deportation officers will hand you over to VN authorities who will escort you to Vietnamese  immigration. You will be questioned at VN immigration before being released. We have not seen detentions 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.

If your family members have been alerted and are willing, they can pick you up at Tân Sơn Nhất Airport, no matter what province you are from. If your “homecity” happens to be Saigon and you do not have a sponsor, we have seen that people are released into Saigon anyway. However we are not able to guarantee that this will be the case in the future; hence it is recommended that you and your family line up a sponsor when possible. We understand that in many cases it is not. In this case please have a loved one reach out to Ba lô immediately (baloprogram@gmail.com)

If your home city is not Saigon, police will escort you from the airport to those provinces via car. You can grab a backpack with us before departing, as it will contain a new set of underwear and  clothes, key hygiene items,  VN 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.

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

Again, it is best to try to have a sponsor in place while landing. This person needs to be a Vietnamese national.  This can be a distant family member, or even a distant friend.  We are learning that this sponsor will be responsible for you until you receive your permanent identification. This  does not mean that you need to reside with the sponsor, but they need to know how and where to reach you. As far as we know, a sponsor means they are liable for all damages, etc. should you break the VN law.  

With that said, we have not seen anyone detained because they do not have a sponsor. However, we have seen longer questioning times at the immigration office for people who do not have a sponsor in place. For example, in one of the provinces,  a deported sibling was told he would be placed into temporary housing because he did not have a sponsor (it is important to note this was not in Saigon).  However, a fellow deportee's sponsor was able to sponsor him as well, which avoided him being detained in temporary housing.

Currently, there is no support for deported people to Vietnam. There is currently neither an entity nor an official organization to support returned community members.

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 services (education, healthcare, etc.) are accessed 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 VN 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 Viet ID system which took over what is formerly known as chứng minh nhân dân CMND)

Please note — steps and costs vary. The process of getting an ID is something you will have to find out in 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.

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

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, and 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 order food, transport goods, etc. 

2. WhatsApp - good app to keep in touch with US folks

3. Zalo - most popular in VN to communicate with people in-country

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

5. Signal - not as popular but key in keeping in touch with impacted people and organizers in the US

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 you have in detention. Nothing illegal or against policies. Family members can bring items/small suitcases while visiting their detained family member. ICE will thoroughly check the luggage, and will give them to your loved ones upon arrival to VN. Please ask your detained family members for size/weight restrictions with the ICE staff in their detention center. 

We have heard that community members are also able to bring money to Vietnam. ICE has issued a check/ATM card  in the past with commissary money that can be cashed in Vietnam. Please have your loved one check with their 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. No one wants to be deported, but also no one wants to face the cruelty and inhumanity of ICE detentions we currently see.

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

If you are already detained in ICE custody, then it is not possible to self-deport at this time. A temporary passport will only be issued through the diplomatic process between ICE and the Vietnam Embassy. This is often called the process of obtaining travel documents, and is triggered once you are in ICE custody. It may take up to 90+ days for VN to issue the temporary passport.

If you are not detained, there is a chance you may be able to apply for a VN  passport.  If you already have a VN passport, even though it is expired, and wish to renew it so that you may self-deport, it is  possible and has happened successfully with the VN Embassy. On the other hand, If you have never been issued a VN passport, then it is possible to apply for one, but it depends 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 VN, etc. 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 VN Embassy 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 VN Embassy. Please contact us directly if you are in this situation and would like to know more.

It is important to 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. We are ready to be there at the airport with your name on a sign, so that we can greet you as you enter your new beginning. 

If you have already landed for months or years and would like a visit to connect with us, please 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 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.