In a significant operation by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a Vietnamese national who eluded deportation for over 15 years was finally arrested. The individual, convicted of attempting to murder a police officer, remained in the U.S. due to his home country’s refusal to accept his return.
This arrest highlights an evolving U.S. policy on deportation, which now increasingly targets foreign nationals with criminal records who were previously granted protection from removal. This shift aims to address the complexities surrounding deportations of individuals with serious convictions.
The man in question, Dinh Quy Nguyen, faced convictions for attempted capital murder of a police officer and burglary dating back to June 28, 1989. Although a deportation order was issued in 1997, Nguyen remained in the U.S. because Vietnam would not take him back. He was released in 2011, leading to more than a decade of relative freedom in the country.
Nguyen was deemed “untouchable” due to an agreement between the U.S. and Vietnam, which prevented repatriation of Vietnamese citizens who arrived in the U.S. prior to July 12, 1995. Consequently, Nguyen, who entered the country on December 15, 1977, was protected from deportation despite his criminal record.
In a statement during Police Week, Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis emphasized the significance of this arrest. “The men and women of ICE law enforcement are ensuring that this illegal alien, convicted of attempting to murder a police officer, is removed from our communities, preventing any further harm to Americans,” she stated in comments shared with Fox News Digital.
“As we observe Police Week, the men and women of ICE law enforcement are removing this illegal alien convicted of attempted murder of a police officer from our communities, so he cannot victimize anymore Americans,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.
“This criminal illegal alien from Vietnam was also previously convicted for burglary. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, we will always stand by our brave ICE law enforcement who put their lives on the line to arrest heinous criminals from American neighborhoods.”
The arrest marks a significant shift in enforcement under President Donald Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, according to DHS officials, who say recent policy changes are aimed at removing longstanding barriers that allowed certain convicted criminals to remain in the United States.
Nguyen’s history in the U.S. spans nearly five decades. He was first admitted to the U.S. in 1977 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge on Dec. 30, 1997, which was affirmed by the Board of Immigration Appeals on May 26, 1998.
On March 17, 2011, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice transferred Nguyen into ICE custody. (John Moore/Getty Images)
On March 17, 2011, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice transferred Nguyen into ICE custody, but he was released on June 22, 2011, because Vietnam refused repatriation.
ICE agents participate in an enforcement operation. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The Department of Homeland Security said the renewed enforcement effort is part of a broader initiative to ensure “heinous criminals” are no longer able to victimize Americans due to diplomatic technicalities.
Nguyen is currently being held at the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, pending his removal to Vietnam.
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