The deportation of a Vietnamese mother and business owner, which sparked significant liberal outrage in the United States, has taken a new turn after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed her extensive criminal history.
A Pillar of the Community with a Hidden Past
Melissa Tran, 43, was widely known in Hagerstown, Maryland, as the owner of Nail Palace and Spa and a beloved mother of four. She arrived in the US as an 11-year-old child in 1993, fleeing Vietnam with a Green Card. For decades, she built a life, marrying another Vietnamese immigrant, Danny Hoang, establishing a business, and raising her family.
Her life unravelled in May when she was unexpectedly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during one of her routine check-ins in Baltimore. Her arrest triggered immediate uproar, with protesters gathering outside her salon, wearing 'Bring Melissa Home' t-shirts and chanting in solidarity.
After being held in detention facilities across Louisiana, Arizona, and Washington, a judge ordered her release in October. However, this was not the end of her ordeal. Her lawyer confirmed she was ultimately deported, landing in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Wednesday.
The Damning Revelation from Homeland Security
In response to the public outcry, which included support from Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin publicly disclosed what she termed 'some pesky facts'.
McLaughlin revealed that Mong Tuyen Thi Tran – using Tran's Vietnamese name – had multiple criminal convictions. These included grand larceny, multiple counts of forgery, and fraud. In a subsequent statement, McLaughlin added that Tran's record also involved writing fraudulent checks.
The legal basis for her removal was a final order issued by a judge back in 2004. McLaughlin stated firmly, 'President Trump and Secretary Noem’s message is clear: criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.'
A Crime from the Past and a Delayed Deportation
The roots of Tran's deportation lie in a 2001 conviction in Fairfax County, Virginia. Court records indicate she pleaded guilty to stealing checks from a doctor's office where she worked as a receptionist. Reports suggest she committed the crime because her 'abusive and manipulative' boyfriend at the time needed money.
Tran served a four-month prison sentence and repaid all the stolen money. However, a judge ordered her deportation shortly after she completed her jail time.
Her removal was delayed for over 20 years due to a longstanding Vietnamese policy that refused to accept immigrants who had left before July 12, 1995. This policy allowed Tran to remain in the US, where she never missed a mandatory immigration check-in over two decades.
This changed recently when Vietnam agreed to issue her a passport, leading to her arrest during a check-in and her subsequent deportation.
Despite her past, Tran expressed remorse, telling reporters in October, 'I know what I did was wrong, and I take responsibility for that... For my kids to have to go through it is horrible for me to comprehend.' Her community remains fiercely loyal, with friends like Kitty Chamos arguing, 'She paid her debt, she did wrong, but she paid her debt. It should not be like this.'
