In a striking moment on the floor of the Minnesota House, a Democratic lawmaker shared deeply personal details about her immigration background — admitting that she, along with her parents, does not have legal immigration status in the United States.
Representative Kaohly Vang Her, who represents a district in Minnesota, made the unexpected disclosure while speaking during a legislative session focused on expanding public health coverage to include undocumented residents.
“Due to a mistake in our immigration paperwork, my legal status has always been uncertain. My father mistakenly listed my grandmother as his mother during the process, and as a result, we’ve never had proper documentation,” Rep. Her explained during the session.
Her comments surfaced as the state legislature debated changes to MinnesotaCare, a publicly funded health program. The proposed expansion aims to make healthcare more accessible to non-citizens, sparking both support and backlash across the political spectrum.
From Refugee to State Representative
According to her official biography, Her’s family fled Laos during her early childhood, resettling in the United States as refugees when she was just four years old. She was raised in Appleton, Wisconsin, where her father worked at a paper mill and her mother supported the family as a teacher’s aide.
“We didn’t have much growing up. My parents juggled multiple jobs, always driven by hope for a better future in this country,” Her wrote on her website.
Her path from a refugee child to a Minnesota state representative has often been highlighted as a story of perseverance and the immigrant American dream.
Public Reaction and Political Fallout
Her statement immediately triggered political controversy. Critics of the bill — and of Her herself — called for immigration authorities to intervene, with some conservative activists urging ICE to detain her.
As of Monday evening, Her had not responded to media requests for further comment.
The incident adds another layer of complexity to Minnesota’s ongoing conversation about healthcare access and immigrant rights — and is likely to fuel further debate as the bill progresses through the state legislature.
🚨 BREAKING: A Minnesota State Representative just admitted to being an illegal immigrant on the MN House Floor just now.
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) June 9, 2025
Now that’s bold. @ICEgov pic.twitter.com/pD1fC8m6Nq
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