ICE put this man in custody as soon as he walked out of prison after 32-year sentence: The plight of Lam Hong Le

Southeast Asian men are more likely to be deported for past convictions than other immigrant groups, some experts and advocates say. Lam Hong Le is facing deportation.

After serving 32 years in prison for a gang-related murder charge, Lam Hong Le, 54, was paroled in 2019. He was a free man… for a few minutes. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were waiting for him outside of the prison that day and took him into custody. Le was placed on "ICE hold" -- where those with no legal status are detained by ICE as authorities decide whether to proceed with a deportation hearing, according to documentation obtained by ABC News. Experts who spoke with ABC News said Le's case isn't rare. Le, who is from Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian men are more likely to be deported for past convictions than other immigrant groups, some experts and advocates say, and in some cases, after completing their served time.