Now at California congresswoman is proposing a new bill aimed at protecting Southeast Asian refugees from deportation after they serve prison sentences in the United States yeah the United States Wars in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 70s resulted in the largest Refugee resettlement in American history Advocates say some of those.
Refugees are now being unfairly punished two times a rally in Oakland California to Pardon poon you a former Refugee who fled the genocide in Cambodia with his family when he was just a year old we need him here to help us build the streets that we had harmed you watches from Ice.
Custody where he's facing imminent deportation to Cambodia a country he doesn't remember feeling the overwhelming love you was one of 10 kids growing up in Long Beach his parents constantly working he says bullying at school and feeling like an outsider led him to join a gang at 13. I felt like as a child who.
Was already traumatized through War through poverty it took a toll on me so I went to find friends that could relate to me that just happened to be gangs when he was 21 you killed a man in a drive-by shooting he was sentenced to 35 years in prison while serving his time you received news that would change him forever I got news from home that my.
Sister was murdered I started thinking about man this is probably what the kind of pain of that caused um the victim's family and just thinking about that pain really was the first time I think a seed of empathy was planted within me in San Quentin you earned his associate's degree and mentored many others what are.
You doing man value yourself buy your life last year a parole board deemed him no longer a threat to society he was released after serving 26 years in prison a joyous moment that proved fleeting I went from a really high to a pretty low thinking freedom is right there I can taste it I can smell it and then no because he.
Committed a serious crime and was not an American citizen you was marked for deportation immediately upon his release he's far from alone according to Immigrant groups an estimated 15 000 Southeast Asian refugees face deportation despite 80 percent of them completing their prison sentences you took someone's life and you went to.
Prison and these are the consequences deportation what would you say to somebody who who has that Viewpoint I'm definitely going to honor their views but one thing that I know that I can do it's changed other lives as well if there's one person who can make a difference for that person to be given a chance to um heal other lives to make up.
For the lives that was lost you know and I'm asking for that chance congresswoman Judy Chu is working to make that happen she's the lead author of the Southeast Asian deportation Relief act which would Place limitations on the Department of Homeland Securities authority to deport refugees from Cambodia Vietnam and Laos I think it's a really cruel form of.
Double punishment for these men and women who have deep roots in their communities and who've done their time the more that we can get the American public to know what's going on the better but even if the law passes it will be too late for you days after the Oakland rally he was deported what was it like.
When you touched down in Cambodia definitely traumatizing I felt lonely hun you is now a free man but living a life without the friends and family who know him best I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to my parents I didn't get a chance to say I mean hug my friends so that kind of haunts me a little bit it will take a pardon from California.
Governor Gavin Newsom to bring poon you back in a statement the governor's office tells us information regarding pardon applications is confidential and we are not able to discuss individual cases meanwhile congresswoman Chu she is working with two colleagues to update that legislation she's hoping to introduce it in the next few weeks as.
For poon right now he has just taken it one day at a time he's learning the language he's trying to apply for teaching jobs but think about this Savannah like I know people would watch this and say well you do the crime you do the time but he was 13. one of ten kids his parents working multiple jobs being bullied at school and he says.
That's kind of what Drew him to the gang the group right and then by 21 all these things happened and so after 26 years in prison you wonder can this person be rehabilitated can they be a contributing member of society he says yes yeah absolutely it's a great question to ask and such a powerful report and I think that context you just provided is so.
Important in all of these types of conversations absolutely yeah thanks for watching our YouTube channel follow today's top stories and breaking news by downloading the NBC News app
Most of those people that committed minor offenses have to've been given 2nd chances as but any other of deportation. On the opposite hand, majority of those people threw away the American dream by picking to affiliate with gangs and violence.
No, within the event you did anything else to head to penal advanced or prison, you permit! Now we absorb ample of our comprise criminals! Budge be free in your comprise residence international locations!
Most peoples don't realized he modified into in The united states all his lifestyles, all he know is English. He absorb a possibility to become american citizen, he expend no longer too. Nonetheless wanna be a gangs contributors. He lucky he no longer even doing lifes. He took a physique. He deserves to be deported. He even lucky he going to Cambodia. There are gangs contributors that are gangs and by no device shot or killed noone.