The Biden administration has lifted most of its visa sanctions on Laos, marking a significant step for thousands of Southeast Asian Americans, many of them refugees, and their families in the immigration process, experts say.

The development, announced Monday, ends a Trump-era immigration ban that effectively halted the issuing of any travel or immigrant visas to people in Laos. The sanctions, largely seen as a retaliatory measure used to pressure Laos into accepting more deportees, could reunite some 2,000 people with loved ones.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/biden-administration-lifts-critics-call-backdoor-immigration-ban-laos-rcna15429