Minnesota Democrat’s Admission of Illegal Status Sparks Legal and Political Uproar

A Minnesota state lawmaker’s admission that she and her parents are in the country illegally has raised serious legal and constitutional concerns, prompting calls for investigation and potential removal from office.

Representative Kaohly Vang Her, a Democrat, made the admission during floor debate on House File 1, legislation that would expand MinnesotaCare benefits to undocumented immigrants. In a statement that quickly went viral, Her said: “I am illegal in this country. My parents are illegal here in this country.” She attributed the situation to a decades-old paperwork error during her family’s immigration process following the Vietnam War.

A Minnesota State Representative just confessed she’s in the country illegally 👀

Cc: @ICEgov pic.twitter.com/BcuVoikjxl

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 9, 2025

The remarks have provoked widespread scrutiny, as Minnesota’s state constitution requires legislators to be U.S. citizens. Her’s public statement has drawn attention to whether she was legally eligible to run for office, register to vote, or cast a ballot—each of which requires lawful status and, in most cases, citizenship.

Minnesota law mandates that candidates for state office be citizens and qualified voters for at least three months prior to an election. If Her is not a U.S. citizen, her eligibility to serve and her participation in past elections may violate state and federal election laws.

Critics have called for immediate inquiries, noting that Her’s admission could amount to a breach of public trust and a violation of voter eligibility laws.

Later in the day, Her said that she wasn’t an illegal immigrant, but a citizen, telling a local outlet that “Her is a refugee from Laos and moved to the U.S. when she was three. Her’s parents took their U.S. citizenship test, and Her became a citizen as a minor when she was in middle school, she said.

Her said her father technically broke the law when he filled out paperwork for the family to come to the U.S. as refugees. He did so to expedite the process to come to the U.S., though they would have come to America anyway,” according to The Minnesota Reformer.

As of Monday, the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office and state election officials had not issued public statements on the matter. However, pressure is mounting from conservative lawmakers and watchdog groups for a formal review of Her’s eligibility and a broader examination of the enforcement of citizenship requirements for public office.

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