Minnesota State Rep. Kaohly Vang Her sparked fierce controversy Monday when she admitted on the House floor that she and her family entered the United States illegally decades ago, prompting Republican colleagues to call for investigation and critics to demand her deportation.
Her, a 51-year-old fourth-term DFL-St. Paul lawmaker, made the stunning revelation during debate on House File 1, which would end MinnesotaCare coverage for illegal immigrants.
“I am illegal in this country. My parents are illegal here in this country,” Her told lawmakers during the special session convened by Gov. Tim Walz.
Her revealed that her father falsified immigration paperwork when the family fled as refugees from Laos following the Vietnam War and the “secret war” in Laos. Her said she came to the U.S. when she was three years old as part of a wave of Hmong refugees who served as critical allies to the United States during the conflicts.
“What my father did was, one of our uncles worked for USAID, and because his mother had died, my father, as the one processing the paperwork, put my grandmother down as his mother,” Her explained. “And so, I am illegal in this country. My parents are illegal here in this country. And when we were fleeing that situation, never one time did my family say, ‘Let’s look at which state has the greatest welfare and which state has the greatest benefits, because that’s the state we’re going to go to.'”
Her said her father worked for the U.S. Consulate and processed refugee paperwork. People planning to come to the U.S. as refugees could immigrate faster if they had family connections to the military, CIA, or USAID. Her’s family didn’t qualify for those expedited pipelines, but a family friend worked for USAID.
“My family was just smarter in how we illegally came here,” Her told House Republicans. “We had more privileges and more ability, which is why we came here in that way.”
Her said she had previously believed her family was granted legal entry because her grandfather was a colonel in the war, but learned the truth only recently when she asked her father about their illegal immigration story.
“I never knew that. I just learned that now,” Her said during the floor debate.
But she quickly backtracked when it was pointed out that she has voted in U.S. elections — which is illegal for non-citizens to do.
Her claims that she and her parents are now legal U.S. citizens. Her became a citizen as a minor when she was in middle school after her parents took their U.S. citizenship test. The “uncle” who worked for USAID was actually a family friend in the Hmong cultural sense, not a blood relative — which she admitted was fraud.
“Technically, you would say my father broke the law, right? But we would have come anyway,” Her tsaid.
Her’s admission immediately ignited a firestorm among Republican colleagues and right-wing media. Rep. Walter Hudson, R-Albertville, called for Her to be investigated, and social media commentators began claiming she committed voter fraud and calling for her deportation.
The controversy centers on whether Her’s admission affects her eligibility to serve in office. Minnesota law requires state legislators to be U.S. citizens and qualified voters for at least three months. Non-citizens voting in federal or state elections face penalties including deportation or up to seven years in prison.
Her has served as Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore and co-chairs the Commerce, Finance, and Policy Committee. She was first elected in 2018 and has served four terms.
Her said her statement about being an illegal immigrant doesn’t currently apply, and that she has been naturalized. She also implied that she only recently learned of her family’s initial illegal entry.
“The truth is until people see a face with somebody and a situation, it is really easy for us to other each other,” Her said. “And as somebody who’s been marginalized because of who I am my whole life, I never want to do that to somebody else.”
The Hmong people served as allies to the United States during the Vietnam War and “secret war” in Laos, assisting in intelligence operations, disrupting North Vietnamese supply routes, and combating communism’s spread through Southeast Asia. They faced violent recriminations from communists after the war, which is why the U.S. welcomed them as refugees, especially through laws like the Refugee Act of 1980.
Minnesota House Republicans, alongside Democratic House caucus leader Melissa Hortman, voted Monday to strip MinnesotaCare from illegal immigrant adults. The Senate later voted to do the same.