>> CATHY: HMONG MINNESOTANS AND OTHER SOUTHEAST ASIAN GROUPS ARE FACING RENEWED DEPORTATION EFFORTS UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S IMMIGRATION POLICIES.

MINNESOTA IS HOME TO ONE OF THE LARGEST HMONG POPULATIONS IN THE U.S., IN PART DUE TO THE AFTERMATH OF THE SECRET WAR IN LAOS SEEING RESETTLEMENTS OF REFUGEES HERE IN THE STATE.

EARLIER THIS MONTH, DFL LAWMAKERS FROM THE ASIAN PACIFIC CAUCUS JOINED ADVOCACY GROUPS TO CALL FOR PARDONS AND CLEMENCY FOR THOSE WITH PAST CONVICTIONS NOW FACING REMOVAL.

KATELYN VUE IS AN IMMIGRATION REPORTER FOR THE "SAHAN JOURNAL" AND HAS BEEN TRACKING THE LATEST.

THERE'S A LOT GOING ON HERE.

SO, FOR PEOPLE NOT AT ALL FAMILIAR WITH THIS, WHAT'S GOING ON?

>> YEAH, SO IN EARLY JUNE, WE KNOW OF ABOUT AT LEAST 15 HMONG PEOPLE IN MINNESOTA THAT WERE ARRESTED BY I.C.E.

AND THEN NOW THEY'RE HELD IN I.C.E.

DETENTION FACILITIES THROUGHOUT INNESOTA, KANDIYOHI, SHERBURNE AND FREEBORN COUNTY.

SO THEY'VE BEEN IN DETENTION SINCE THEN.

I KNOW THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST FIVE WHO WERE TRANSFERRED FROM THE DETENTION FACILITY IN FREEBORN TO LOUISIANA, WHICH IS USUALLY THE FINAL STAGE BEFORE DEPORTATION.

>> Eric: YOU TALKED TO ONE OF THE DETAINEES.

>> I DID, YEAH.

>> Eric: TELL US ABOUT THAT CONVERSATION.

>> YEAH.

WHEN THEY REACHED TOUT ME, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN REALLY GET IN CONTACT WITH THEM IS IF THEY REACH OUT TO YOU FIRST.

BECAUSE THEY ARE IN A DETENTION FACILITY.

[ THEY REACHED OUT TO ME ] BROOKLYN CENTER A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE IN A REALLY STRAIGHT SITUATION, THEY TELL ME WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH, WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THEIR FAMILIES.

AND THEY SHARE ABOUT THE PAST CONVICTION THAT LED TO THEIR FINAL ORDER OF DEPORTATION.

THEY TALK ABOUT THAT.

AND OFTENTIMES THOSE CRIMES HAVE HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, DECADES AGO, AND IT'S STILL -- IT STILL IMPACTS THEIR LIFE AND, YEAH, I MEAN, I JUST TRY MY BEST TO LISTEN TO WHAT'S HAPPENING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE CONCERNED.

>> Eric: SURE.

>> Cathy: SO THESE FOLKS ARE BEING DETAINED.

HAVE THERE BEEN INDIVIDUALS DEPORTED?

AND IF SO, WHERE, WHERE TO?

>> YEAH, SO IN MINNESOTA, WE KNOW AT LEAST FIVE -- WE KNOW AT LEAST FIVE WHO ARE IN LOUISIANA AS OF HIS MORNING WHEN I CHECKED.

THERE'S A WEBSITE CALLED I.C.E.

DETAINEE LOCATOR WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN USE TO LOOK UP THE NAMES OF AN INDIVIDUAL TO FIND OUT WHERE THEY ARE IN THE I.C.E.

DETENTION SYSTEM.

SO THEY'RE IN LOUISIANA.

AND THAT'S USUALLY THE FINAL STAGE BEFORE THEY GET ON A CHARTERED FLIGHT TO GO TO THEIR FINAL DESTINATION, WHICH WOULD BE LAOS FOR THE HMONG PEOPLE.

>> Eric: SO GETTING PARDONS FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT WOULD SEEM LIKE A LONG SHOT, IS THAT FAIR TO SAY?

>> YEAH.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT EVEN LIKE -- YEAH, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD STILL HAVE TO FOLLOW THE SAME RULES, LIKE IT WOULD STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PARDONING BOARD, THE GOVERNOR, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THEY STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WHY THEY SHOULD BE PARDONED.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE THEY CAN GET FIRST IN LINE OR SPECIAL TREATMENT.

THEY KIND OF DO HAVE TO STILL FOLLOW THE SAME RULES.

>> Cathy: WERE THESE PEOPLE BORN IN LAOS ORIGINALLY OR WERE THEY IN EFUGEE CAMPS WHEN THEY WERE BORN?

I EAN, WHAT IS THEIR BACKGROUND, JUSTE OCCUR YOURSELF.

>> SO A LOT OF THEM WERE BORN IN A REFUGEE CAMP IN THAILAND BEFORE THEY CAME TO THE U.S.

BUT JUST BEFORE YOU CAME -- YOU WERE BORN IN A REFUGEE CAMP DOESN'T MAKE YOU A REFUGEE.

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT DESIGNATES THEM AS LAOS AS THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, WHICH IS WHY THEY'RE SENT TO LAOS WHEN THEY'RE DEPORTED.

BUT A LOT OF THEM CAME TO THE U.S.

WHEN THEY WERE CHILDREN AS REFUGEES.

BUT AS A REFUGEE, YOU'RE NOT ELIMINATED FROM BEING DEPORTED.

YOU'RE ONLY GIVEN A FEW YEARS OF BEING ABLE TO RESETTLE IN THE U.S. BEFORE YOU HAVE TO LATER ON APPLY TO BE A CITIZEN.

>> Cathy: WHAT ARE THE FAMILIES SAYING ABOUT THIS?

>> YEAH, I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF THE WIVES OF THE MEN WHO WERE GOING THROUGH DEPORTATION.

AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO KIND OF BECOME A SINGLE PARENT ALL OF A SUDDEN.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN KIDS AND THEY HAVE TO REALLY RELY ON THE OTHER RELATIVES TO HELP SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THE FINANCIAL AND ALL THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT COMES WITH BEING A PARENT.

>> Eric: HOW SERIOUS WERE THESE CRIMES THAT LED TO CONVICTION?

>> THEY WERE PRETTY SERIOUS CRIMES.

I WILL SAY.

I THINK THAT MOST OF THE ONES IN JUNE WHEN I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE 15, THEY WERE MOSTLY CRIMINAL SEXUAL CRIMES THAT HAPPENED.

>> Eric: OKAY.

>> Cathy: SO I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP FOLLOWING THIS STORY.

>> EAH.

>> Cathy: YEAH.

>> YEAH.

>> Cathy: THANK YOU SO