Born in a Thai refugee camp and raised in Texas, Kham Paneboun is now stateless in Laos. The 43-year-old lost his US green card due to a crime he committed as a teenager. He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and served two years in prison. Since then, he has lived in the US for 17 years without any further offences. Kham worked as a warehouse foreman and supported his wife and four children, aged three to 12, who still live in Texas. However, a routine appointment with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) became a trapdoor to deportation. Now, Kham faces exile in a country where he has no citizenship. Despite having letters of support from his employer, his family remains separated and the punishment feels like paying for an old mistake all over again.