Two dozen Hmong men in Minnesota face deportation

Twenty-four Hmong men who settled in Minnesota decades ago are being held in jails across Minnesota and Iowa as they await deportation to Laos, according to the Hmong 18 Council, a local Hmong advocacy group. Most of the men arrived in the U.S. as refugees after the Vietnam War and later became lawful permanent residents before their status was revoked due to past criminal convictions. Federal agents arrested several individuals at their homes, workplaces and in front of their children.

The detentions have caused distress and confusion within Minnesota’s Hmong community. Family members often do not know where their loved ones are being held or when removal proceedings might occur. Chia Neng Vue, 43, who was arrested at his home in Coon Rapids, told the Sahan Journal, “It is a tear in my heart. I am scared for my children and my family. I do not know what will happen to us.”

Community advocates warn that these enforcement actions reflect a broader pattern targeting Southeast Asian Americans and are calling for greater transparency from immigration authorities. Darling Yaj, executive director of the Hmong 18 Council, said, “To the Hmong community, this is a betrayal. We came here as legal immigrants, not illegally.” Advocates are urging officials to consider the men’s long-standing ties to Minnesota and the trauma caused by uprooting families with deep roots in the region.