A Minnesota state representative shocked fellow lawmakers on Monday when she admitted to being in the United States “illegally.”
Kaohly Vang Her, a Democrat who has served in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2018, made the declaration while advocating for illegal immigrants’ eligibility for public health benefits.
The comment came during debate over a newly passed legislative measure declaring that illegal immigrants will not qualify for MinnesotaCare, the state’s version of Medicaid.
In a dramatic moment on the House floor, Her recounted the immigration history of her family, revealing that their entry into the United States decades earlier had involved fraudulent documentation.
BREAKING: Democrat Minnesota State Rep. Kaohly Vang Her just admitted on the House Floor that she is an ILLEGAL ALIEN.
How is she holding office? @ICEgov @DHSgov @RealTomHoman pic.twitter.com/7PuE4GoPQP
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 9, 2025
“Because his mother had died, my father – as the one processing the paperwork – put my grandmother down as his mother,” Her said. “And so I am illegal in this country. My parents are illegal here in this country.”
According to Her’s campaign materials, she was born in Laos and came to the United States at the age of four, arriving as a refugee.
Her initial remarks suggested that the paperwork used to facilitate the family’s entry did not accurately reflect their legal relationship, raising questions about the legal standing of her candidacy and her current position in state government.
Following immediate backlash, Her later clarified her remarks in an interview with the Minnesota Reformer, insisting that despite the misrepresentation, she and her parents are indeed naturalized U.S. citizens.
“Technically, you would say my father broke the law, right? But we would have come anyway,” Her told the outlet.
She claimed her father identified himself as a relative of a family friend who worked for the United States Agency for International Development, in an effort to expedite the family’s immigration to avoid persecution by communist forces.
According to Her, she shared her family’s story in an attempt to generate understanding among Republican legislators.
“The truth is until people see a face with somebody and a situation, it is really easy for us to other each other, and, as somebody who’s been marginalized because of who I am my whole life, I never want to do that to somebody else,” she said.
Despite her subsequent assertion of citizenship, the Democrat lawmaker’s original statement set off a firestorm online and reignited scrutiny over the legal and ethical standards for public officials.
Hers’ revelation unfolded amidst the latest national crisis, as immigration enforcement protests erupted into violence over the weekend in Los Angeles.
As rioters targeted ICE officers and facilities, President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard members and 700 active-duty Marines to restore order and protect federal assets.
In response, California Governor Gavin Newsom denounced the president’s decision, calling it an affront to democratic principles.
“U.S. Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defense of democracy,” Newsom posted on X.
“They are heroes. They shouldn’t be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President.”
Newsom accused the Trump administration of fabricating a crisis to justify military involvement, and on Monday he claimed another 2,000 National Guard troops were being sent to Los Angeles.
“I was just informed Trump is deploying another 2,000 Guard troops to L.A.,” he posted to X.
According to the governor, the initial deployment was under-equipped and underutilized.
“The rest are sitting, unused, in federal buildings without orders,” he alleged.
“This isn’t about public safety. It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego. This is Reckless. Pointless. And Disrespectful to our troops.”
California’s state leadership took its opposition a step further by filing a lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco, seeking to block the president’s troop mobilization.
The 22-page complaint argues that the military deployment is unconstitutional and violates the state’s authority under the Tenth Amendment.
“One of the cornerstones of our Nation and our democracy is that our people are governed by civil, not military, rule,” the lawsuit states.
“The Founders enshrined these principles in our Constitution — that a government should be accountable to its people, guided by the rule of law, and one of civil authority, not military rule.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also weighed in, criticizing the immigration raids that preceded the unrest.
“Well, I just have to say that if you dial back time and go to Friday, if immigration raids had not happened here, we would not have the disorder that went on last night,” Bass said on CNN’s “The Situation Room.”
“I will tell you that it is peaceful now, but we do not know where and when the next raids will be,” she continued.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt rebutted such claims, asserting that the unrest was the direct result of lawless mobs attacking federal officers.
“In the wake of this violence, California’s feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens,” Leavitt said.
The rapidly intensifying standoff prompted a digital skirmish between Newsom and Vice President J.D. Vance.
After President Trump indicated he would support the arrest of the California governor for obstruction, Newsom issued a fiery reply.
“The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor. This is a day I hoped I would never see in America. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican, this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism,” Newsom posted.
Vance, in a succinct retort posted two hours later, told Newsom: “Do your job.”
“Do YOUR job. We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved,” Newsom shot back. “Rescind the order. Return control to California.”
This shows just how totally dysfunctional all governments; federal, state, county and city really are. How was this person vetted when she ran for political office?? It is obvious she was never properly vetted. THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE….. SHE NEDS TO BE DEPORTED IMMEDIATELY.
If California was not a “sanctuary state”, defying immigration law and the authority of the Federal government over matters of immigration and had not the democrat party deliberately defied immigration laws by not only encouraging but aiding the illegal entry into our country of tens of millions of invaders —– strictly to increase their voting block for the sake of maintaining power —— we would not have the problems we are facing as a nation at this time. The democrats are willing to destroy our nation if that is what it takes to hold on to power —– very selfish and unpatriotic.
How many more like her are here nationwide even in US House & Senate
Marines in LA. “They shouldn’t be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen” How about facing illegal invaders? Which is what they’re actually doing.
Return control to California? What control? If Newsom and Bass hadn’t been sitting on their back ends while the terrorists were burning cars, etc., Trump wouldn’t have needed to act! (Was Bass on a junket again?)