Governor Gretchen Whitmer has pardoned Lue Yang, a Hmong refugee and community leader from Michigan who is currently in ICE custody. The pardon could affect his deportation case and may allow him to remain in the United States. Yang was detained by ICE in July due to a low-level criminal conviction, which may now be set aside, according to The Detroit News.
Lue Yang, a 47-year-old St. Johns resident, previously pleaded guilty in 2001 to an accessory charge in a home invasion and served 10 months in prison. His conviction was expunged in Michigan in 2018, but ICE continued to pursue deportation and his immigration status prevented him from gaining U.S. citizenship. “Yesterday, I granted a pardon for Lue Yang, a devoted family man and respected leader in Michigan’s Hmong community,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement to WILX. Supporters are calling for his release while he remains under U.S. jurisdiction. Yang was reportedly placed on a flight to Southeast Asia, but his current location has not been confirmed. “We are unclear whether Mr. Yang was deplaned and put on another plane or if he is going back to Alexandria,” State Rep. Mai Xiong said in a video, as reported by The Detroit News.
Despite receiving a pardon that clears his record, Lue Yang still faces deportation. His attorney is working in county court to vacate the case to help protect his status and path to citizenship. Yang’s wife, Ann Vue, told Michigan Advance, “My family and I need Lue to return home where he belongs. This pardon shows the power of humanity and community,” and said of his detention, “He probably cried for seven days. and your light is on continuously so you don’t know if its night or day,” as per WILX. State Sen. Stephanie Chang said on the Senate floor, “On behalf of Khone’s son, Khamsay’s sister, Lue Yang’s wife, Ann, and their families, we are all urging ICE to bring these men home. They are members of our community, they are fathers, and their families deserve to have them by their side,” as advocates wait for further action from ICE and DHS.
_(Whitmer1).jpg){kind=link}