U.S. may return illegal migrants

Thousands of Vietnamese who entered the U.S. illegally after the former foes normalized relations in 1995 could be forced to return to their birth country under a repatriation agreement, said Julie Myers, director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Community leaders in the U.S. said many immigrants have been living with deportation orders for years. Critics wonder whether the pact might be altered to include people who entered the U.S. illegally in the 1970s and ‘80s.

About 6,200 Vietnamese were given final deportation orders before the agreement’s completion, and 1,500 more are involved in proceedings to eventually be sent home, Myers said during a visit to Vietnam.