FULLERTON, CAâ Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva released the following response to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reportedly meeting with Vietnamese government officials this week to discuss drastic changes to the terms of an agreement that has governed the deportation of individuals to Vietnam since 2008. Quirk-Silva joins many families in Orange County in opposing any changes to the agreement that would erode protections currently afforded to Vietnamese immigrants, including a provision that does not permit those who entered the United States before July 12, 1995 to be deported.
âI want to express my concern over the latest actions of the Trump administration this week. Any actions that prioritize harsher restrictions such as these should be made with a diplomatic, and more level-headed approach,â said Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva. âSoutheast Asian Communities, including Vietnamese communities, and all the proud Asian Pacific Islander communities of Orange County should not be made to fear being arrested and deported. The refugee story in Orange County is proof that the American Dream is alive and well. People fleeing their home only for their safety, and the safety of their children, should be respected and not feared.â
Modifications to the U.S. - Vietnam Repatriation Agreement could potentially make over 8,500 individuals immediately vulnerable to deportation. Many of these community members came to the United States as refugees, fleeing war and persecution, and have lived here peacefully for decades.