Family Appeals for Support as Hmong American Faces Deportation
The family of Lue Yang, a Hmong American facing potential deportation, is urgently seeking assistance from the community and policymakers for his release. Yang, a long-time resident of St. Johns, was detained by ICE at his workplace last month, according to his family.
Yang’s journey to the United States began in 1979 when he arrived as an infant. His family, originally from Laos, sought refuge after experiencing political violence due to their support for the U.S. military and CIA during the Vietnam War. Yang was born in a refugee camp in Thailand.
At a recent press conference, Ann Vue, Yang’s wife of over 24 years, emphasized the dangers her husband would face if deported. She stated, “With Lue’s public advocacy here in America for our Hmong veterans and our Hmong American people today significantly increases that he will be identified and persecuted upon arrival. He will receive a death sentence.” Vue highlighted Yang’s active involvement in Hmong community organizations.
In his youth, Yang encountered legal issues, resulting in a plea deal that led to a 10-month prison sentence based on his court-appointed lawyer’s advice, Vue explained. Although the charge was later expunged, it still makes Yang vulnerable to deportation under federal immigration laws, despite state-level expungements. The family has previously invested significant resources in attempts to secure his citizenship.
Vue is calling on the governor, lawmakers, community advocates, and fellow Michiganders to aid in her husband’s case. She expressed the seriousness of the situation, stating, “It would be a grave and irreversible injustice. To deport him now is to punish him to death over 10 months.”
There are reports of other Hmong Americans receiving similar notifications to appear at Detroit’s ICE offices, where they were subsequently detained. Aisa Villarosa, an attorney with the Asian Law Caucus, raised concerns about the legality of these detentions, questioning whether warrants were issued. She noted, “Because many were rapidly quietly moved from one ICE facility to the next, as many as four facilities across thousands of miles within a matter of days from Michigan to Louisiana, there are glaring due process questions about every step of their detention and processing.”
ICE has not provided any comments regarding Yang’s situation.
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