Immigration enforcement has ramped up since the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January. Since June, more than 15 Hmong Minnesotans have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. This group included numerous men who’d been convicted of crimes two or three decades ago. Several individuals were deported to Laos not long after.
As more Hmong Minnesotans face immigration threats, Sahan Journal hosted a live Instagram conversation to talk about recent events and help Minnesotans understand the scope and impact of immigration enforcement. And Sahan invited community members to write-in with their questions. Our panelists:
- Mai Neng Moua, managing attorney at Mai N. Moua Law Office, who specializes in immigration law.
- Katelyn Vue, Sahan Journal’s immigration reporter, who has covered federal immigration enforcement since fall 2024.
Here are ten takeaways from that livestream.
Who is being deported and where are they sent?
At least 15 Hmong Minnesotans have been arrested since June, and five of those individuals were subsequently deported from the U.S. to Laos. In the past, Laos has refused to receive deportees. But new pressure from the Trump administration has pushed Laos to begin accepting more refugees and issue travel documents.
How common is it for Hmong people to be deported?
Hmong deportations have been rare in Minnesota. “There’s no formal repatriation agreement with Laos, and so for many, many years, this isn’t something that we see in the Hmong community,” said Mai Neng Moua, a managing attorney at Mai N. Moua Law Office.
Are Hmong refugees Lao citizens?
Many Hmong Minnesotans are U.S. citizens, having been born in the U.S. or having naturalized here. But despite being a stateless ethnic minority within Laos, not-naturalized Hmong Minnesotans are considered by the U.S. to be Lao citizens if they were either born or raised in Laos, or have parents who originated from the country. “As long as the Lao government is willing to issue travel documents, they’re getting deported to Laos,” adds Moua.
Can Hmong Minnesotans receive pardons for decades old crimes?
Minnesota immigrant advocates have pushed for Governor Tim Walz to grant more pardons that could potentially help immigrants whose previous criminal records raise the likelihood of deportation. But Moua notes that not everyone would benefit from that policy. A pardon from Walz or Attorney General Keith Ellison could not apply to federal crimes committed by immigrants, such as controlled substance possession, domestic abuse or firearm violations.
What happens to someone after they are detained by ICE?
After Immigrant and Custom Enforcement agents detain an individual, it can be difficult for family and friends to track their whereabouts. Legal experts and family members often use an ICE locator website, but it’s not always up to date, as detainees get bounced between holding facilities. Sahan reporter Kateyn Vue notes that families do not always get the chance to say goodbye to loved ones before they are removed from the country.
Are refugees not a protected class?
Being a refugee, Moua explains, does not immediately grant a person permanent residency or long-term immigration protection. Though Hmong refugees may have arrived to the United States under unique circumstances, their residency status is not guaranteed unless they have applied for permanent residency or citizenship.
Why don’t Hmong Minnesotans apply for citizenship?
Hmong refugees who pursue U.S. citizenship face a different threat: the danger of the government denying their application, which could result in removal from the United States.
How hard is it to apply for citizenship?
New standards for the citizenship process have raised the barrier for applying. According to Vue, 28 new questions have been added to the list of 100 questions that potential citizens must memorize in order to pass the naturalization exam. Previously, applicants had to correctly answer 6/10 randomly selected questions; now they must answer 12/20 in order to pass
What changes have been made to the naturalization process?
In addition, applicants must provide proof of “good moral character.” Vue believes that there is “a higher standard now that USCIS officers are instructed [to follow], to measure that moral character.”
Can deportees return to the U.S.?
After being deported, Moua says, deportees face extremely long odds to legally return to the U.S. Deportees likely have a criminal record of some kind. This likely bars them from getting a waiver to reenter the U.S. unavailable to them. “I can’t fathom the government agreeing to let someone come back to the U.S. to visit their family when they’ve lived here almost their entire life,” she observes.
Disclosure: For this story, Sahan newsroom staff used artificial intelligence to help us quickly transcribe audio from the video livestream and compile an outline of key takeaways. A Sahan reporter and editor took these starting materials to draft the list, above. Using AI allowed us to efficiently adapt our live video interview into a story for Sahan’s website.
You can watch a recording of the livestream below:
