WelKham Back Laos
Deported but Not Defeated
Life doesn’t always go the way we plan… I never thought I’d end up here in Laos, but here I am. Being deported doesn’t mean the end of my story it’s the beginning of a new chapter. I lost a lot, but I also gained a chance to start over. I’m learning, adapting, and finding ways to survive. One day I’ll reunite with my family, but for now, I take it one day at a time. 🙏 If you’d like to support me, you can send donations through Cash App ($KhamphatPaneboun), Venmo (@Khamphat-Paneboun), or Western Union under the name Khampat Paneboun
WelKham Back Laos
Us back in 1989, happy to come to America 🇺🇸. I can’t imagine how my whole life has done a 360
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 141
View 27 replies
WelKham Back Laos
This was written while I was in ICE detention at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, in April 2025
I am alive, but I feel as if a part of me is dead. I am being persecuted for a mistake I made when I was young, and it astonishes me to go through this ordeal as I am being taken away from my life—my family. I am horrified to know that the system is pushing for my deportation to my country of origin, Laos, a place I know nothing about.
My great-grandparents and grandparents fought alongside the United States against the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. After the U.S. left, the Lao government targeted them as traitors. As the government began killing those labeled as traitors, my elders crossed the border and took refuge in Thailand. Life there was extremely difficult, and soon the Thai government became unwelcoming. My grandfather filed for asylum in 1980, and after a decade-long process, our family was accepted and allowed to enter the United States in 1990.
I and my two siblings were born in Thailand between 1980 and 1985. When we arrived in the U.S. in 1990, I was eight years old. I attended school and graduated in 2000. During that phase of my life, I was lost and made poor decisions. I began drinking, using drugs, and associating with the wrong crowd. I was involved in group fights and went in and out of jail.
In 2004, I became involved in a serious altercation with a large group of individuals. My two friends and I were forced to choose between being killed or defending ourselves. I fired a gun at one individual’s leg to scare them and escaped. A week later, I was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. I served two years in jail.
After completing my sentence, my life entered a never-ending cycle of shock and misery when I was taken into ICE custody. I was detained for six months and later released on probation. I was required to report annually to ICE. My green card was revoked, and I was issued a work permit.
While incarcerated, I made a decision to change my life. I completed anger management programs and committed to becoming a better person. In 2008, after my release in Houston, I lived with my sister, who helped fund my education. I enrolled in a six-month auto engine repair course. Despite my efforts, my past followed me, and I struggled to find work for some time.
In 2010, I moved to Amarillo to live with my parents. I worked briefly at a restaurant before securing a job at Ben E. Keith through a friend. By then, I was a transformed and mature man. I worked extremely hard, and my company recognized and rewarded my efforts multiple times. My coworkers became like family.
In 2012, I bought my first home and met my soulmate, Jasmine. We fell in love and built a family together. We welcomed our children: Kendrew in 2014, Kendrick in 2015, Kimberly in 2017, and Kane in 2023. For 18 years, I worked tirelessly, focused solely on my job and my family. I was grateful for everything God had blessed me with.
Throughout this entire time, I continued to comply with ICE requirements, attending my annual check-ins as instructed. I never understood why the process continued for so many years despite my transformation, clean record, and dedication as a family man.
In February 2025, I traveled with my family to Dallas for my annual ICE visit. I entered the office alone while my wife and children waited in the car. To my shock and horror, I was told that I was being detained. The first questions they asked concerned my tattoos and whether they were gang-related. I explained that they represent my culture and family name.
They then informed me that I was being detained for a case that occurred over 20 years ago. I could not believe it. I was treated as if I were still a criminal. When my wife and children learned what had happened, they were devastated and cried in disbelief.
In 2008, ICE had previously been unable to deport me because I lacked documentation linking me to Laos. I was born at home as a refugee in Thailand and never had a birth certificate. All my records documented my life in the United States. That was why I was released then. This time, however, they are exploring options to deport me to Laos or even another country.
I am terrified. I may be sent to a place where I do not speak the language and have no support. How will I provide for my family? How will I pay the mortgage on our home? I always ensured my wife did not have to work, and I provided a comfortable life for my family. Now my wife is working to keep our home and care for our four children, and this breaks my heart.
I am deeply worried about my future. I fear that I could be tortured or even killed in Laos because the government knows my people fought alongside the United States. I pray for my family’s safety and well-being. I ask for prayers to help me endure and overcome this hardship, which I am facing due to systemic recklessness.
Please pray for justice and for my reunion with my beautiful family. May God bless us all.
Thank you
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 140
View 34 replies