A 44‑year‑old man named Chanthila “Shawn” Souvannarath was deported from the United States to Laos — even though a federal court had issued an order preventing his removal.
Souvannarath, who has lived in the U.S. since infancy and claims U.S. citizenship through his father (a naturalised U.S. citizen), was taken into custody in June during an immigration check‑in in Alabama.
He had been detained at a facility in Louisiana. Last week a judge, Shelly Dick of the U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge, issued a temporary restraining order to halt his deportation, noting the “irreparable harm” his removal could cause if he is indeed a U.S. citizen.
Despite this, immigration authorities say the order was not served on the agency in time, and he was sent to Laos before the court’s directive could take effect.
Advocacy groups, including American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Louisiana, called the deportation a “stunning violation of a federal court order” and voiced concern for Souvannarath’s ability to pursue his citizenship claim from abroad.
Souvannarath’s wife, Beatrice Souvannarath, told reporters the news of his deportation came via message from her husband: he informed her that he was in Dong Makkhai, Laos. The couple has young children together and she described the past two months as “the hardest” of her life.
The case raises pressing questions about due process, the rights of those claiming citizenship, and how immigration enforcement interacts with court orders.