A Vietnamese national, Tuan Phan, is repatriated to Vietnam after being deported to South Sudan by the Trump administration under a third-country deportation program. Multiple outlets report that South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced his return on Friday, following more than a year in detention in South Sudan. South Sudan’s ministry says Phan remained in its custody and described him as disciplined, in good health, and “joyful” during that time. ABC News and The Independent similarly report that Phan had spent months to more than a year in detention before being returned.
PBS NewsHour provides additional background from court documents, saying Phan moved to the United States as a child in 1991. It also reports that in 2000, shortly after turning 18, he received a 25-year prison sentence after being convicted for shooting and killing someone during a gang altercation.
Other reporting indicates that Phan was sent to South Sudan in May 2025 as part of a group that included seven other men. The outlets agree on the repatriation outcome and the role of the U.S. third-country deportation scheme, while details beyond detention and background vary by source.
