This is who they're trying to deport in Long Beach.
Sithy Bin was born in a Cambodian refugee camp and arrived in the United States as a toddler. America is the only home he has ever known. Growing up, he faced extreme poverty, cultural displacement, and bullying at school for not speaking English. These early experiences planted deep feelings of fear, abandonment, humiliation, and low self-worth. Seeking protection and belonging, Sithy joined a local gang as a youth.
As a young adult, Sithy lived a double life—one as a gang member, and another as a college student and single father to his infant daughter. At age 24, Sithy became involved in a gang conflict and fired shots at a rival’s home, unintentionally injuring an uninvolved bystander. He was convicted and sentenced to two life sentences—40 years to life—and believed he would die in prison. But from the very beginning of his incarceration, Sithy committed himself to transformation. He joined every rehabilitative, educational, and spiritual program available to him. He embraced the motto: “A smart person learns from their own mistakes; a wise person learns from the mistakes of others.” His goal was not only to change his own life but to help others do the same.
Years later, under California’s sentencing reform laws, the same judge who gave Sithy his original sentence was so moved by his transformation that he reduced his sentence, making him eligible for parole. In 2020, Sithy was found suitable for parole at his very first hearing.
But his second chance was short-lived. On the very day of his release, he was detained by ICE and transferred to the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility, where he remained until his release under court order during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since being released from both prison and detention, Sithy has built a life rooted in healing, service, and community leadership. He has helped countless others in their reentry journeys—providing support with housing, employment, education, and personal growth.
Sithy is currently: A Faith-Rooted Organizer with CLUE Justice
https://www.cluejustice.org/
A Co-founder of the Made New Foundation, which supports justice-impacted individuals
https://madenewfoundation.org/
A Teaching Artist with Creative Acts, mentoring youth inside L.A. juvenile camps
https://www.creativeacts.us/
A Certified Medical Peer Support Specialist through Tarzana Treatment Center College
https://www.ttccollege.org/
A Graduate of Loyola Marymount University’s Behavioral Health Counseling Certificate Program
https://www.lmu.edu/
A Certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapy & Stress Management Counselor
https://sithyinsession.com/
A Fair Chance Advisor contracted with CEO (Center for Employment Opportunities)
https://www.ceoworks.org/
A Participant in USC’s Compelling Preaching Program
https://crcc.usc.edu/events-and-training/compelling-preaching/
A Member of APALA (Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance)
https://www.apalanet.org/
He was officially discharged from parole on October 27, 2021, with the Board of Parole Hearings stating, “BPH finds the parolee does not pose a risk to the safety of the public at this time and discharges the parolee from the parole term.”
Sithy’s transformation has been so profound that he’s been featured by the ACLU, Teen Vogue, Shondaland, and other platforms committed to criminal and immigration justice.
