A Michigan Hmong refugee and longtime community leader who had been detained by federal immigration authorities since July is finally home, thanks in part to direct intervention from Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett.
Lue Yang, a resident of St. Johns and president of the Hmong Family Association of Lansing, was reunited with his wife and six children Wednesday after spending more than four months in ICE custody. He was originally detained over a decades-old burglary conviction from 1997, a crime he served his sentence for and which Michigan expunged in 2018.
Yang, who came to the United States as a refugee when he was a child, said he’s just grateful to be back where he belongs.
“Everybody has given me, they gave me the strength,” Yang said in a video posted by Barrett after his release.
His detention sparked intense concern among advocates who warned that deportation to Laos, a country Yang has never called home, could expose him to persecution because of his work with Hmong veterans and U.S. allies.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a full pardon in October to try to halt removal proceedings. But immigration officials insisted that under federal law, the old conviction could still be used against him. For weeks after the pardon, Yang remained locked up while ICE considered whether to ignore the state’s action.
That changed only after coordinated pressure from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, particularly Barrett’s office backing Yang’s cause in Washington.
“Lue is not and never has been an illegal immigrant, and he does not present a threat to our community, which motivated me to work tirelessly to see him released from custody,” Barrett said. “I have consistently said that I believe we need to be firm, fair, and humane in how we enforce immigration law, and I’m proud that I could effectively advocate to get Lue released.”
Barrett credited the administration for finally listening and agreeing to release Yang while his case continues.
Democratic State Rep. Mai Xiong, herself a former Hmong refugee, also greeted Yang upon his return, calling the moment a beacon of hope for families whose loved ones remain held in ICE facilities.
Yang’s freedom doesn’t fully resolve his situation. He is still under a final removal order and must continue his fight in immigration court to secure his legal status once and for all. But being home, surrounded by his children instead of a detention center, gives him a fighting chance.
Barrett says he intends to remain engaged as the process moves forward.
For now, Yang’s family is simply grateful that, after months of uncertainty, he’s back in Michigan, the only home he’s ever known.
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