Democratic lawmakers appeal to federal officials to locate and return Lue to his family and home in Michigan
LANSING, Mich. Oct. 24, 2025 — State Reps. Mai Xiong (D-Warren), Emily Dievendorf (D-Lansing) and Penelope Tserneglou (D-East Lansing) spoke with the press today to share news regarding Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s pardon of Lue Yang and announce an appeal to federal officials, the public and the media to help locate Lue and urge DHS and Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) to return him home to Michigan.
Yang — who was born in a refugee camp in Laos and came to Michigan as a toddler when his family was forced to flee — was at work on July 15 when he was unexpectedly detained by ICE. The pardon of Yang’s decades-old, nonviolent and previously expunged conviction came after months of advocacy from Xiong — the sole elected official in Michigan who is a surviving refugee and member of the Hmong community — along with fellow Democratic legislators, community organizations, volunteer attorneys, and Yang’s family, wife, Ann Vue.
“I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Gov. Whitmer for using her powers to pardon Lue Yang. I thank everyone who worked together, tirelessly, to make this possible. Lue is a husband, a father and an immensely valuable member of the community who has contributed greatly to our state since he legally arrived in the U.S. receiving asylum decades ago,” Xiong said. “Even as he has been detained, Lue is still acting as a community leader and a public servant. He has been helping fellow detainees navigate the uncertainties of this terrifying and complex system, interpreting for those who cannot speak English, giving his own small portions of fruits and vegetables to fellow detainees who are vegetarians, all while his six children have been waiting for him to come home to tuck them into bed every night. We owe him more than just gratitude — we owe him justice and due process.”
While Yang’s current whereabouts are unknown, his family believes he was boarded on a plane last night in Alexandria, Louisiana, which arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, early this morning. Flight records indicate that this plane is returning to Alexandria, Louisiana, when it was supposed to go to Romania next. It is unclear whether Yang is still on the plane that is returning to Alexandria, or if he was deplaned and put on another plane to Laos and other Southeast Asian countries.
“Lue Yang is a father, caretaker of a 99-year-old grandmother, hard worker in the automotive industry and president of the Hmong Family Association — someone who should not be facing deportation,” said state Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit). “I am incredibly grateful to Gov. Whitmer for granting Lue Yang’s pardon, the result of tireless advocacy from many community leaders and organizations. Now, the federal government should grant Lue Yang’s emergency motion to stay removal and motion to reopen his case. We urge ICE to return Lue to his wife, Ann, and his family in Michigan where he belongs. This is an important moment where we need to be clear about the kind of America we believe in — and I choose to believe in an America where immigrants and refugees are treated with dignity and compassion, where we recognize people like Lue Yang and Khone Sengmany as human beings, and where we keep families together.”
“Refugees seeking asylum in Michigan should not be eligible for deportation. Members of the Hmong community were forced to flee their homes after helping the CIA and protecting American soldiers during the Vietnam War. Those individuals have since made Michigan their home, becoming small business owners, public servants and parents who work hard to provide a better life for their children and community,” Tserneglou said. “Mr. Yang’s nonviolent conviction, which occurred when he was a teenager, has now been both expunged and pardoned. He is a vital part of his community, a family man and should be released from federal custody immediately. We are appealing to DHHS and ICE to release his whereabouts and to return him to his family and home here in Michigan at once.”
“Mr. Yang’s pardoning is a hard-fought accomplishment and a huge relief for Michigan’s Hmong community, his family and for justice everywhere. This is thanks to the tireless efforts of my colleague, Rep. Mai Xiong and Mr. Yang’s family,” Dievendorf said. “Mr. Yang is a refugee and a member of the Hmong community, a community that is in essence, stateless. His deportation would have been cruel in any circumstance, but made even more cruel by the fact he would have been returned to a country that would not accept him. Michigan is his home and it must remain his home. We will continue the fight to ensure he is returned home to his family safely.”
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