Dem. Rep. Kaohly Vang admits to being an illegal immigrant

"Since his mother had died, my father, when handling the paperwork, listed my grandmother as if she were his mother.

And that’s why I am illegal in this country. My parents are illegal here in this country."

On June 9, 2025, during a speech at the Minnesota Legislature, Kaohly Vang Her acknowledged that her family entered the United States irregularly when she was a child. She stated that her father “lied when filling out immigration-related forms” by claiming they had entered legally. Shortly afterward, she clarified that although they came without proper documentation, both she and her parents obtained U.S. citizenship before she started high school. This testimony received media coverage and political attention because an elected official publicly admitted to having entered the country irregularly, highlighting the complexity of the immigration system and the legalization processes.