Latest news with #SecretWar
Newsweek
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Son of Vietnam War Vet Detained by ICE
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The son of a Vietnam War veteran has been detained by federal immigration authorities, leaving his family devastated. Blong Yang, a longtime resident of the United States and the son of a war hero who fought alongside U.S. forces during the "Secret War" in Laos, was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on April 30 while on his way to work in Lakeland, Minnesota. "This situation has been extremely heartbreaking and difficult," his daughter, Kylee Yang, told Newsweek in a statement. "We made the decision to post our GoFundMe because we needed immediate financial support and relief. However, this abrupt family separation has been traumatizing." Newsweek has contacted ICE for comment. Blong Yang, with his wife Anna and daughter Kylee before his April 30, 2025, apprehension by ICE. Blong Yang, with his wife Anna and daughter Kylee before his April 30, 2025, apprehension by ICE. Supplied Why It Matters President Donald Trump's administration is carrying out plans to deport millions of undocumented immigrants as part of a campaign pledge during the 2024 election. Trump vowed that the administration would target serious criminals. However, dozens of nonviolent immigrants without legal status have been detained by ICE. The immigration raids have raised concerns about lack of due process and of racial profiling. The White House has said anyone living in the country without legal status is a "criminal." What To Know Since Blong's detainment, the Yang family has been left reeling, grappling with emotional distress. Kylee described the anguish of being separated from her father in a GoFundMe post, as well as the constant concern for his safety while he remains locked up in ICE detention. The ripple effects of her father's arrest have caused significant financial strain, as the family has lost a key source of income. Kylee's mother, Anna, has been forced to miss work because of the overwhelming stress of managing the household and navigating the complex legal system. Blong, who has been married to Anna for nearly 25 years, is the cornerstone of the family. He is a father to Kylee (23), her sister (21) and two younger brothers (15 and 11). His absence is felt deeply, particularly by his younger sons. "If my dad is deported, it would tear him away from everything he's ever known and loved. His absence has been especially painful for my younger brothers," Kylee wrote on GoFundMe. Blong's journey to the United States is rooted in his family's history of service. He came to the U.S. as a refugee at age 2, following the Vietnam War. His father, who fought alongside U.S. forces, had been recruited and trained by the CIA, according to the GoFundMe post. After the U.S. withdrew from Southeast Asia, Blong's family was granted refuge in America. Kylee paints a picture of her father as a warm, caring individual who is a beloved member of his community. He is known for his sense of humor and his love for sports, particularly the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. Blong has also been an active member of his union, Teamsters Local 120, where he served as a union steward and was dedicated to protecting the rights of his colleagues. The circumstances surrounding Blong's detainment are tied to past mistakes he made when he was younger, according to his daughter. His daughter insists that the man he is today should not be defined by his past, but by the positive contributions he has made to his family and his community. The family is working with MN8, a local non-profit that supports Southeast Asians facing detention and deportation. Immigration courts are overwhelmed, with a backlog exceeding 3.7 million cases, according to Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Asylum-seekers often wait years for a decision. There's broad political support for adding judges and staff to ease the burden. What People Are Saying Anna Yang, in a statement: "We know many of you feel compelled to defend our dad or share your own feelings about the injustice of his detainment, and we really appreciate that. But right now, our family is focused on reuniting with our dad, and creating space to process, grieve, and heal. "We are asking that when you share the link especially on social media you do it without engaging in comments. We're asking this out of care and caution, as any public dialogue could unintentionally lead to harmful backlash from federal government or put our family at more risk. This was a recommendation from MN8 and our attorney." Kylie Yang, in a GoFundMe post: "My dad has such a likable character. He's funny, a peacemaker, and gets along with literally everyone. "He has always been a hardworking, reliable man who is respected at work." What Happens Next As Blong's family battles against legal obstacles, they are also struggling to cover mounting fees, which are expected to exceed $10,000. The Yangs are appealing for support from their community to help navigate the challenges of immigration proceedings.
CBS News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Vietnam 50 Years Later: Leng Wong, one of Minnesota's first Hmong refugees
Minnesota is built by immigrants who've enriched the state with diversity and innovation. One of those groups is the Hmong community. Minnesota is home to the largest Hmong population in the country, and it all started nearly 50 years ago when the Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon. Months after the fall, Leng Wong fled his home of Laos months after serving as a military officer in the Lao Armed Forces during the Secret War, a clandestine operation where the CIA recruited and trained thousands of Hmong men to fight on behalf of the U.S. "Flew missions into different parts of Laos, and I flew in American military operative, translate for them, talk to troops on the ground and relayed it to the American troops," Wong said. "I was traveling with so they could relay it back to the base or the headquarter and call for support." Wong served for 10 years, until the bitter end was inevitable. He knew it was no longer safe for him to stay. "They called us traitors, so they don't like us," he said. "It was so chaotic that we really didn't have time to think much about it other than how to survive." He and his family escaped on one of the C-130 cargo planes the Americans had sent to help evacuate refugees. "Just the clothes on our back. There was really nothing that we could bring with us," he said. They flew to Thailand, where they would stay for the next nine months. Then, news came of a sponsor. Leng Wong in the early 80s, and in 2025. Leng Wong/WCCO "There was a lot of uncertainty, what I would be facing in a new land," Wong said. He arrived at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, in the bitter cold, on Feb. 7, 1976. "I was having trouble catching my breath because it was so cold, and we're not used to that type of cold in our home country," he said. Frigid, and foreign, Wong was often met with a cold shoulder. He says his biggest barriers at first were language and culture. "Initially, we were faced with some resentment from the community as well, thinking that we were here taking away services," he said. Even so, Wong still felt the need to help others just like him. He made it his aim to improve the lives of other Hmong people who would be following in his footsteps. "I was able to communicate and translate for people, so I'd be busy day and night," he said. "We'd be at the hospital, the clinic, at the airport." Wong would spend years working for refugee programs with Lutheran Social Services and the state, helping people find jobs and working with employers to create those jobs. He'd also advocate for policy changes in support of refugees, all while traveling across Minnesota, and eventually across the country, to break down barriers and to educate others on the Hmong people. These days, Wong owns several commercial buildings across the Twin Cities, and also has his sights set on building more affordable housing for all Minnesota families. "I don't think I'll ever retire. I think I will continue to advocate for our community and to work and contribute back to our community, as well as the community at large," he said. Wong is a humble servant, forever thankful for the new land, and its people who accepted him. "Minnesota's been good to me. It's always cold, but the people in Minnesota are warm hearts," he said. "We know this is where we belong now, but we still have a part of our heart on the other side of the world that we know we belong there, too." EDITOR'S NOTE: Dang Her and his family were the first Hmong immigrants to come to Minnesota in November 1975, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. Leng Wong's family came as the first Hmong refugees in February 1976, according to the Hmong American Partnership. This story is part of Pauleen Le's documentary "Vietnam 50 Years Later: Reflection on a War that Changed Minnesota." Join WCCO on Wednesday, May 7 at 5 p.m. for a special screening at Concordia College in St. Paul — hosted by the Center for Hmong Studies: Buenger Education Center (BEC) 1282 Concordia Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104 Attendees are encouraged to park in Lot A, Carroll Street or Syndicate Street Watch the full documentary below, or on our YouTube channel.
American Military News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
MN House passes bill recognizing Hmong, Lao veterans of ‘Secret War'
Minnesota is on its way to officially recognizing the service of Hmong and Lao and other veterans who fought alongside the U.S. in the 'Secret War' during the 1960s and 1970s in Laos. A veterans and military affairs bill passed by the state House on Tuesday night creates a path to grant official state veteran status for fighters recruited into Special Guerrilla Units by the CIA during the Vietnam War to fight communist forces in Southeast Asia. The anniversary of the fall of Saigon this week marks 50 years since the U.S. ended its involvement in Vietnam, and supporters of the bill gathered at the state Capitol with surviving veterans of the Secret War to call for greater recognition. 'Today, we say their service matters, their sacrifice matters, their story is American history,' said Rep. Jay Xiong, DFL-St. Paul, co-author of the veterans bill and the son and grandson of Hmong soldiers. He added: 'Recognizing SGUs isn't just symbolic, it's a long overdue act of respect.' 'Burden of being forgotten' Ya Lee, a Special Guerrilla Unit veteran who flew T-28 warplanes, said there is limited time to recognize surviving veterans for their sacrifices, and that they carry the 'burden of being forgotten.' Lee, who said he is among 10 remaining T-28 pilots living in the U.S., was among dozens of veterans at the Capitol on Tuesday who showed up in military uniforms to support the bill. At a news conference promoting the bill, Rep. Kaohly Vang Her, DFL-St. Paul, said it's not exactly clear how many SGU veterans remain in Minnesota, but that it's likely fewer than 1,000. During the 1960s and 1970s, many groups across Southeast Asia found themselves drawn into a U.S. war against communist forces within and beyond the borders of Vietnam. Many faced persecution by their governments as a result, with many hundreds of thousands fleeing their homes and eventually ending up in the U.S. But official recognition for their contributions to the war efforts remained elusive for decades. Legislation The House passed a large veterans and military affairs bill containing the Secret War acknowledgement language by a vote of 126-6 on Tuesday, though it'll need a little more work since it differs from the version passed by the Senate. Once those have been smoothed over in a conference committee, the House and Senate will have to vote once again before it can go to Gov. Tim Walz. If signed into law by the governor, the bill would create a definition for veterans of the Secret War in Laos and criteria for eligibility for benefits and privileges for veterans. Those include designation as a veteran on driver's licenses and ID cards, access to state veterans cemeteries, and access to preference in private employment. Anyone who became a citizen under the Hmong Veterans Naturalization Act of 2000 will automatically get Secret War veteran status. Eligibility also extends to those who received a Medal of Honor, Purple Heart or other military award for service in support of the U.S. military operating in Laos. Beyond immediate recognition of veterans who got citizenship for their service, the Minnesota commissioner of Veterans Affairs would be empowered to recognize veterans who served with a special guerrilla unit or other forces that operated from a base in Laos between February 1961 and May 1975. State task force A state task force created by the bill is charged with overseeing the process for official recognition. It is to include the Minnesota veterans commissioner, a U.S. Veterans Affairs Department official, a Hmong American Minnesota resident who served in the military, two Secret War veterans, a U.S. Vietnam veteran and other history and veterans' issues specialists. While the bill creates a process to recognize anyone involved in the Secret War in Laos, a group backing a bill earlier this legislative session to recognize Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian veterans expressed disappointment that language didn't mention those groups by name. Bana Soumetho, who was born to Lao refugee parents in Thailand and has been working to establish explicit recognition for a broader group of Secret War veterans in state law, expressed her frustration in an email. 'This year marked what may have been the final meaningful opportunity for many of our aging veterans to receive public acknowledgment,' she wrote. 'Instead, it became a painful reminder of how easily their stories can be overlooked — even when the intent is recognition.' ___ © 2025 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
CBS News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Vietnam 50 Years Later: Leng Wong, Minnesota's first Hmong refugee
Minnesota is built by immigrants who've enriched the state with diversity and innovation. One of those groups is the Hmong community. Minnesota is home to the largest Hmong population in the country, and it all started nearly 50 years ago with one man. Leng Wong fled his home of Laos months after the Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. He served as a military officer in the Lao Armed Forces during the Secret War, a clandestine operation where the CIA recruited and trained thousands of Hmong men to fight on behalf of the U.S. "Flew missions into different parts of Laos, and I flew in American military operative, translate for them, talk to troops on the ground and relayed it to the American troops," Wong said. "I was traveling with so they could relay it back to the base or the headquarter and call for support." Wong served for 10 years, until the bitter end was inevitable. He knew it was no longer safe for him to stay. "They called us traitors, so they don't like us," he said. "It was so chaotic that we really didn't have time to think much about it other than how to survive." He and his family escaped on one of the C-130 cargo planes the Americans had sent to help evacuate refugees. "Just the clothes on our back. There was really nothing that we could bring with us," he said. They flew to Thailand, where they would stay for the next nine months. Then, news came of a sponsor. Leng Wong in the early 80s, and in 2025. Leng Wong/WCCO "There was a lot of uncertainty, what I would be facing in a new land," Wong said. He arrived at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, in the bitter cold, on Feb. 7, 1976. "I was having trouble catching my breath because it was so cold, and we're not used to that type of cold in our home country," he said. Frigid, and foreign, Wong was often met with a cold shoulder. He says his biggest barriers at first were language and culture. "Initially, we were faced with some resentment from the community as well, thinking that we were here taking away services," he said. Even so, Wong still felt the need to help others just like him. He made it his aim to improve the lives of other Hmong people who would be following in his footsteps. "I was able to communicate and translate for people, so I'd be busy day and night," he said. "We'd be at the hospital, the clinic, at the airport." Wong would spend years working for refugee programs with Lutheran Social Services and the state, helping people find jobs and working with employers to create those jobs. He'd also advocate for policy changes in support of refugees, all while traveling across Minnesota, and eventually across the country, to break down barriers and to educate others on the Hmong people. These days, Wong owns several commercial buildings across the Twin Cities, and also has his sights set on building more affordable housing for all Minnesota families. "I don't think I'll ever retire. I think I will continue to advocate for our community and to work and contribute back to our community, as well as the community at large," he said. Wong is a humble servant, forever thankful for the new land, and its people who accepted him. "Minnesota's been good to me. It's always cold, but the people in Minnesota are warm hearts," he said. "We know this is where we belong now, but we still have a part of our heart on the other side of the world that we know we belong there, too." This story is part of Pauleen Le's documentary "Vietnam 50 Years Later: Reflection on a War that Changed Minnesota." Join WCCO on Wednesday, May 7 at 5 p.m. for a special screening at Concordia College in St. Paul — hosted by the Center for Hmong Studies: Buenger Education Center (BEC) 1282 Concordia Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104 Attendees are encouraged to park in Lot A, Carroll Street or Syndicate Street Watch the full documentary below, or on our YouTube channel.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hmong ‘Secret War' soldiers to get veteran status in Minnesota
The Brief Minnesota is on the verge of becoming the first state to recognize as veterans the Hmong and Lao soldiers who fought in the CIA's Secret War. The so-called "Special Guerrilla Units" worked alongside Americans fighting in Laos and North Vietnam, but the U.S. kept their work under wraps until acknowledging the Secret War in 1994. Analysts estimate about 1,000 of the veterans are still alive and living in Minnesota. Once the bill is signed, they will have access to services and benefits given to all American veterans. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota is about to become the first state to recognize as veterans the men who fought a secret war for the United States. Slow recognition The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday night to honor the service of Hmong and Lao soldiers in the Secret War. It's 50 years now since the CIA stopped using these so-called Special Guerrilla Units (SGUs) to fight communism, mostly in Laos and North Vietnam. But recognition has been slow, which they blame on the fact that the U.S. kept what they did off the books. "Every mission, you only know that mission," said Yee Xiong. Xiong never knew the big picture in Laos, even as he flew more than 1,000 missions as a navigator and translator for American pilots on bombing runs. All he knew was he was helping the United States and fighting communism. "We never know that what we did over there was so secret," Xiong said. "We just fight what we're told. Americans said, you do this, and we do this." Soldiers then refugees 30,000 to 40,000 Hmong soldiers died during the Secret War, but Xiong survived until the end. The Americans left and the Hmong became unwelcome in their own country. Two refugee camps later, Xiong made it to the United States, but only now, 50 years later, will he and about 1,000 surviving Hmong veterans get the same rights and services we give American veterans. "For too long, they've silently, slowly waited for recognition of their honorable service and commitment to protect and uphold democracy, to save American lives, and to safeguard American interests," said Rep. Ethan Cha (DFL-Woodbury), the son of a now-deceased SGU veteran. "What this bill says is what they deserve and it's the least we can do."Rep. Cha says Hmong and Lao people would never have come to the U.S. except for the Secret War and the leadership of General Vang Pao, who dreamed of an educated Hmong people welcomed in a democratic society. "This is his dream coming full circle of the day he took on that mantle to fight against communism," said Rep. Kaohly Her (DFL-St. Paul), the daughter of a now-deceased SGU veteran. "We are that dream. And they're finally getting recognition for that." The U.S. gave these war veterans "honorary citizenship" about 25 years ago, but Minnesota will become the first and only state to give them veteran status when the governor signs this bill into law.
