Lansing — Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on Thursday that she has granted a pardon to Lue Yang, a Hmong refugee living in Michigan. This significant decision effectively expunges Yang’s past criminal record, which had put him at risk of deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The pardon addresses a low-level conviction from over 20 years ago, which had previously been expunged in Michigan in 2018. Despite this, Yang was arrested in July and has spent more than 90 days in detention. Whitmer highlighted Yang’s status as a “devoted family man and respected leader” within Michigan’s Hmong community, emphasizing the impact of his past conviction on his current circumstances.
State Representative Mai Xiong, a Hmong American representative from Warren, has been a vocal advocate for Yang’s release and expressed optimism following the pardon. “That conviction is what propelled the deportation process,” Xiong stated, adding that they hope an immigration judge will take Yang’s case into consideration now that it has been pardoned.
Yang’s attorney is currently working with the Clinton County court to vacate his plea deal from 2001 and help him pursue citizenship. Ann Vue, Yang’s wife, expressed her gratitude to supporters and the governor, urging officials to expedite her husband’s release. “My family and I need Lue to return home where he belongs,” she said. Vue praised the community’s support and emphasized the importance of the pardon in their fight for Yang’s return.
The location of Yang, a 47-year-old resident of St. Johns, remains unclear. Xiong reported that he was recently transported on a flight to Baltimore from Alexandria, Louisiana, only to be routed back to Louisiana. There is uncertainty surrounding whether Yang was deplaned or if he is indeed returning to Alexandria.
State Senator Stephanie Chang, a Democrat from Detroit, has joined the calls for Yang’s immediate release, stating the urgency of the situation. “We still have a chance,” she emotionally declared on the Senate floor, noting that the airplane carrying Yang has not yet left U.S. airspace. Chang and Xiong have appealed to ICE to allow Yang to return to his family in Michigan.
Yang was convicted as an accessory to a home invasion in 2001 and served a 10-month sentence. His case was complicated by language barriers and inadequate legal representation at the time. Since then, Yang has been an integral part of the community, serving as president of the Hmong Family Association, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the Hmong community in Michigan.
The Hmong people migrated to the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s, escaping persecution in Laos due to their support of American forces during the Vietnam War. Xiong noted that Yang’s family history reflects this struggle; he was born in a refugee camp after his family fled Laos, and both his father and grandfather fought alongside U.S. soldiers.
The community remains hopeful that with the pardon, Yang will soon be reunited with his family, emphasizing the resilience and support of the Hmong community during this challenging time.