Minnesota State Representative Sparks Controversy by Admitting She Is in the U.S. Illegally During Legislative Debate

In a striking and emotional disclosure during a special session of the Minnesota Legislature, Rep. Kaohly Vang Her revealed to her colleagues that she and her family have been living in the United States as undocumented immigrants since arriving after the Vietnam War. The revelation came as lawmakers debated expanding MinnesotaCare eligibility for undocumented adult immigrants—a heated topic that has drawn sharp divides among legislators.

Rep. Her recounted her personal journey, sharing that she had spent recent time reflecting with her father on their family’s flight from Vietnam. She had long believed her family gained entry into the U.S. because her grandfather served as a colonel in the war, but her father recently set the record straight: their journey was not the result of official channels or military connections, but rather due to altered paperwork. Her father, who worked processing refugee documents at the U.S. Consulate, used his position to list Her’s grandmother as the mother of a relative who qualified for resettlement after the death of his own mother—a maneuver that allowed the family to escape to the United States.

“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 told the Legislature. “And so, I am illegal in this country. My parents are illegal here in this country.”

Her emphasized that her family was never motivated by the prospect of government benefits, pushing back on the narrative that undocumented immigrants come to the United States seeking welfare. “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,’” she said. “Nobody leaves their country unless they have to leave that country.”

Addressing her colleagues directly, Her urged lawmakers to reconsider how they view and talk about undocumented immigrants. She underlined her family's contributions—pointing out that her grandfather paid taxes his entire life in the U.S. despite never receiving benefits, and that she herself has given more to the country than she has taken. “When you’re thinking about voting no on this bill, you’re voting no against someone like me who paid more into this country than it has ever given to me,” she said passionately.

Concluding her remarks, Her asked for empathy and opportunity for all immigrants seeking a new life. “They didn’t want to leave where they were,” she stated. “We’re not looking for what state is going to give us the best benefits. We’re looking to just be alive.” Her’s candid account added a deeply personal perspective to the ongoing debate over immigrant rights and healthcare coverage in Minnesota, highlighting the complexity and nuance behind immigration stories that often go unheard in legislative chambers.