Minnesota Rep Reveals Family's Undocumented U.S. Entry

Minnesota State Representative Kaohly Vang Her revealed during a legislative debate that she and her family fled Laos after the Vietnam War and initially lived in the U.S. without legal immigration status due to misrepresented paperwork. Her only recently learned from her parents about the misrepresentation, and despite having become a naturalized U.S. citizen, her admission sparked widespread online reactions and calls for her removal and an ICE investigation. Her shared her family's story while supporting a bill to expand state healthcare coverage for undocumented immigrants. She has long advocated for immigrant and refugee communities, aiming to humanize the issue for her colleagues. The bill, backed by Governor Tim Walz, is expected to pass in the Democrat-controlled legislature. Her's disclosure underscores the complexities and emotional realities of undocumented backgrounds among public officials.