Democratic lawmakers call for transparency and the release of Hmong refugees whom ICE ripped away from their families and the communities they have long contributed to

 

LANSING, Mich., Aug. 8, 2025 — Michigan Democrats held a press conference Thursday to call for greater transparency around U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detaining Hmong refugees and to call for the release of those detained. State Reps. Emily Dievendorf (D-Lansing) and Mai Xiong (D-Warren) and state Sens. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) and Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) were joined by advocacy groups and family members of the recently detained Hmong refugees.

“Detainment and fear are not Democratic principles — Michigan and the U.S. have long been a land of refuge, safe harbor and opportunity for the Hmong people and other immigrant communities,” Dievendorf said. “Today, we are standing together to fight for accountability, call for the reunification of these Hmong families and emphasize the value and contributions of our immigrant and refugee neighbors in Michigan’s communities.”

On July 30, approximately 15 members of the Michigan Hmong community were unexpectedly detained by ICE at the department’s field office in Detroit, believing they were for a routine immigration court hearing. The Hmong refugees confirmed they were subsequently told not to speak to members of the press.

“As the only elected official in Michigan who is both a surviving refugee and member of the Hmong community, I want to emphasize that refugees living in Michigan do not have a safe country to return to — Michigan is where their families and communities are; Michigan is their only home,” Xiong said. “When any law enforcement official acts without transparency, they foster fear in our communities and decrease public safety. We are urging that detainments not be hidden from the public eye or hidden from the press.”

“Hearing people’s real-life stories is the way that we will move more people to action and understanding the humanity of what is at hand,” Chang said. “ICE is failing in transparency. It shouldn’t be this challenging for the family or for the public to know where a loved one is in the system, where they will be heading next or what the timetable is for a potential flight to a country they haven’t been to in many decades.”

Federal immigration law generally does not recognize state-level expungements for immigration purposes, meaning minor offenses that have been removed from an individual’s record under Michigan law can still be considered a deportable offense by ICE. The lawmakers emphasized the dangerous lack of transparency and lawful protocol displayed by the ICE officers.

“To watch what is happening now, where people can be taken and detained by ICE for an infraction that might have occurred 30 years ago, for something that might have already been expunged by the state of Michigan — having those types of items held against somebody is unjust,” Singh said. “They’ve been active in their own community, the business community and the broader city they live in. We need to make sure that the same rights provided to people through due process are provided here.”

“For several months, ICE has been conducting raids at factories, farms, restaurants and other workplaces. Additionally, they have been targeting law-abiding individuals at their mandatory immigration hearings and have even detained a large number of U.S. citizens,” said state Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing), whose district is home to one of the detained Hmong refugees. “Not only are these practices incredibly unpopular, but they have struck fear into millions of citizens and legal residents who are now terrified that they may be falsely detained.”

View the full “Truth, Justice and Transparency” press conference here.

 

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