Laotian man deported by U.S. to South Sudan leaves for Laos after year in detention

JUBA, South Sudan — A Laotian man deported by the United States to South Sudan left for Laos on Thursday after spending more than a year in detention in Africa, an ordeal his attorney said could have been avoided.

Thongxay Nilakout, 49, had been willing to return to Laos before the U.S. deported him to South Sudan, attorney Tin Nguyen said. A Lao consular officer had told his family that a travel document had already been issued.

Nilakout left South Sudan on Thursday afternoon for Vientiane, the capital of Laos, Nguyen said. He had been detained in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, since July 2025.

South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that it had coordinated his repatriation with the government of Laos, which provided assurances against torture or other ill treatment upon his return.

“Thongxay’s deportation to Laos is not just a relief for his family, it is proof of what we argued from day one. He should have been sent to Laos,” Nguyen said in a statement.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it was preparing a response to questions about Nilakout’s case and requested more time to comment.

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Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world