Minnesota State Representative Kaohly Vang Her, a Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party member, made a striking admission during a House floor speech on Monday. While supporting a bill to provide taxpayer-funded healthcare to illegal aliens, Vang Her stated that she and her family entered the United States illegally decades ago.
Vang Her recounted that her father, while working at the U.S. Consulate during their time in a refugee camp, manipulated immigration documents. Her family had repeatedly missed the official window to enter the U.S. and did not qualify under refugee eligibility rules. In response, her father falsely listed a relative as her grandmother to gain entry.
“I am illegal in this country, my parents are illegal here in this country,” she said during her remarks. Vang Her explained that her father’s position allowed him to process refugee paperwork, and he used that access to secure immigration for the family through fraudulent means.
The lawmaker emphasized that her family did not come to America in search of government benefits, stating, “Never one time did my family say, ‘Let’s look at which state has the greatest welfare.’” She described her family as having more “privileges and more abilities” in how they entered the country, asserting, “My family broke the law to come here.”
Vang Her’s campaign website identifies her as a Laos-born refugee who resettled in Wisconsin at age four. While she currently holds office legally—citizenship being a requirement—her public statement revealed an unlawful origin of entry, raising questions about long-standing immigration enforcement and naturalization protocols.
Her comments were made during debate over legislation that would expand MinnesotaCare, a state-run healthcare program, to include illegal aliens. Republicans strongly opposed the bill, pointing to the burden on taxpayers and the message it sends about respecting immigration laws.
