A Vietnamese mother and entrepreneur, whose deportation incited significant liberal outcry, has been found to have a substantial criminal history, newly disclosed information reveals.
Melissa Tran, age 43, was the proprietor of Nail Palace and Spa, a well-regarded nail salon in Hagerstown, Maryland, where she established herself as a respected community figure.
Arriving in the United States on a Green Card at 11 years old after escaping Vietnam in 1993, the mother of four was taken into custody by ICE unexpectedly in May and was deported back to Vietnam earlier this week.
It has now come to light that Tran’s criminal record includes convictions for grand larceny along with multiple instances of forgery and fraud, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Her detention sparked significant backlash, prompting protestors to mobilize for her release.
Demonstrations took place outside her salon, with supporters donning ‘Bring Melissa Home’ shirts and chanting the same message in unison.
After five months of being held in facilities in Louisiana, Arizona and Washington, a judge ordered her release last month.
Melissa Tran, 43, a mother-of-four and the owner of Nail Palace and Spa, arrived back in Vietnam on Wednesday following her deportation
Tran’s deportation sparked protests, but the Department of Homeland Security has since stated that the mom had a long criminal rap sheet
But despite her release, Tran was deported to Vietnam on Monday after her homeland agreed to issue her a passport, WBAL-TV reported.
She learned of the development during an ICE check-in last Friday.
Tran has been obliged to complete these every month for 20 years after pleading guilty in Fairfax County, Virginia, to stealing checks from a doctor’s office where she worked as a receptionist in 2001.
A judge issued a final order for her to be deported in 2004, but her removal was delayed by a Vietnamese ban on immigrants who arrived in the US before July 12, 1995, from returning.
Her lawyer confirmed that she landed in Hanoi on Wednesday, CBS News reported.
‘Melissa Tran came here on a Green Card at age 11,’ Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen wrote on X on Wednesday.
‘She’s since raised four kids, started a business, & is a beloved member of the Hagerstown community.’
He continued: ‘Trump is deporting her, despite a judge saying she poses no threat. Is she the “worst of the worst”? Do you feel safer yet?’
In response to the distraught senator’s assertion, DHS spokesman Tricia McLaughlin shared ‘some pesky facts’ about Tran’s past.
Tran’s family seen protesting on her behalf while she was in ICE custody
‘Mong Tuyen Thi Tran is a criminal illegal alien from Vietnam, with criminal convictions including grand larceny, multiple counts of forgery and fraud,’ McLaughlin wrote using Tran’s Vietnamese name.
The DHS spokesman added: ‘President Trump and Secretary Noem’s message is clear: criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.’
According to court records reviewed by The Baltimore Banner, Tran pleaded guilty to stealing the checks more than 20 years ago because her ‘abusive and manipulative’ boyfriend at the time needed money.
Tran spent four months behind bars and paid all the money back, but a judge ordered her deportation shortly after she served her time.
Since her conviction, Tran has married another Vietnamese immigrant, Danny Hoang, opened a successful business and started a family.
‘I know what I did was wrong, and I take responsibility for that,’ Tran told WJZ in October.
Tran (left) is seen with her family. She has four children and is married to another Vietnamese immigrant, Danny Hoang
Tran (right) graduated college while living in the US and was prevented from returning to her homeland by a longstanding policy in Vietnam which meant that immigrants who left before 1995 would not be accepted back
Community members gathered in front of Tran’s nail salon in support of getting her released from ICE detention. Protestors video called Tran while she was in custody
‘For my kids to have to go through it is horrible for me to comprehend. Why? We always say if you change, you deserve a second chance.’
Despite her past, her neighbors and customers are furious that she was ripped away from her loved ones.
‘She’s just such a good person,’ Kitty Chamos, a family friend of Tran, told WBAL-TV 11 on Wednesday.
‘She paid her debt, she did wrong, but she paid her debt. It should not be like this.’
