Mother of Five Deported to a Country She’s Never Known

• Why was Ma Yang deported?
• What does her family say?
• Her situation is critical!

Ma Yang, a 37-year-old woman and mother of five, was deported to Laos on March 6, 2025, despite never having lived there or speaking the language.

Yang, a legal permanent resident of the United States since childhood, grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she remained until being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Yang was born in a refugee camp in Thailand, into a Hmong family that had fled the Vietnam War.

She arrived in the United States at just eight months old and obtained legal residency at the age of seven.

Ma Yang Deported to Another Country

Wisconsin mother of 5 deported to country she’s never been to & doesn’t speak the language «to die.»

Ma Yang is being held in Laos surrounded by military guards—without her insulin & blood pressure medication.

«The United States sent me back to die,» she said. «I don’t even…» pic.twitter.com/qfcfoz77h2

— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨‍💻 (@LongTimeHistory) March 18, 2025

However, Ma Yang’s life took a turn in 2022 when she was convicted of a marijuana-related offense, which resulted in a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

After serving her sentence, she reported regularly to ICE.

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Nevertheless, in February 2025, she received an unexpected call from immigration authorities for an appointment scheduled nine months in advance.

When she showed up, she was detained and transferred to a detention center in Indiana.

Where Was Ma Yang Deported To?

#Milwaukee-Area Woman #Ma_Yang deported to #Laos though she’s never been there, doesn’t speak the language

The 37-year-old mom of five deported to Laos due to ‘lawyer’s mistake’ — claims she was wrongly advised to accept deportation after drug trafficking charges were dropped… pic.twitter.com/cb9dvn1xx0

— ⚡️🌎 World News 🌐⚡️ (@ferozwala) March 17, 2025

On March 6, Ma Yang was deported to Laos, despite her attorney’s belief that the Southeast Asian country rarely accepted deportees from the U.S.

Her journey included stops in Atlanta and South Korea before arriving in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Once there, she was detained by military authorities without access to her documents or outside communication for five days.

Yang’s situation in Laos is critical. She does not speak the language, has no family or means to survive, and is struggling to access her medications for diabetes and high blood pressure.

In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, she expressed her despair: “The United States sent me to die. I don’t know where to go or what to do.” She also stated that renting or buying anything without legal documents is impossible.

Ma Yang’s case may represent the first deportation to Laos under the Trump administration, although there are no official records confirming it.

In 2024, according to official data, there were no deportations to Laos during the previous fiscal year.

In response, her family has launched a campaign to bring her back to the United States.

Her partner, Michael Bub, started a GoFundMe fundraiser to cover the costs of her return.

«She is not a drug trafficker, she’s not running a scam, she’s not the head of a criminal conspiracy,” said Bub on the campaign page, as reported by El Tiempo.

«She’s a wife, sister, mentor, friend. She’s a mother like so many others.»

Ma Yang leaves behind her five children in Milwaukee, ranging in age from 6 to 22, and her partner, who suffers from health issues due to brain surgeries and memory loss.

The family fears her condition will worsen without medical support or resources in Laos.

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