Gov. Tony Evers sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Thursday addressing concerns about possible deportations of Hmong and Laotian community members following a potential agreement between the U.S. and Laotian governments.
“Many Hmong people living in Wisconsin came here as refugees seeking asylum ...The Trump Administration’s veiled negotiations are sowing fear among Hmong communities across Wisconsin,” Evers wrote in the letter. “The potential deportation of Hmong Wisconsinites is yet another example of your administration’s problematic disposition and policies toward refugee and immigrant populations. I urge you to reconsider and reiterate my opposition to any agreement that results in the deportation of Hmong people living in Wisconsin.”
The U.S. government could potentially fund a repatriation program that would apply to non-U.S. Hmong and Laotian citizens who already face orders for deportation, according to MPR News.
Pompeo traveled to Laos this week and met with the country’s foreign minister in an attempt to strengthen the relationship between the two governments, according to the State Department.
However, Evers said he believed the meeting pertained to the potential agreement to deport Hmong and Laotian residents living in the U.S.
Major concerns stemmed from Laos’ past human rights record, when thousands of refugees migrated to the U.S. to escape war and genocide.
“There is a long and dark history of human rights violations by the Communist government of Laos against the Hmong,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, said. “I am deeply concerned that the Trump administration would tear families apart in Wisconsin and target Hmong and Lao refugees residing in our state. Wisconsin has a special bond with the Hmong community and it is my hope that this administration will stop its plan to break this bond with my constituents.”
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, chimed in and emphasized that U.S. citizens would not be targeted and measures would be implemented to ensure the safe return and acclimation for those who could be deported.
“This would not apply to all Hmong in the U.S., rather just those who are not citizens and who have been ordered removed by an immigration judge. This is most likely due to a criminal conviction that led to a deportation order,” Johnson said in a statement. “Also, a deportee would be able to be screened for the risk of future persecution or torture prior to being removed back to Laos. It is incumbent upon the U.S. government to ensure that deportees are returned safely and not subjected to future persecution once removed from the U.S.”
Chai Moua, a civic engagement contractor with Freedom, Inc., a Madison-based advocacy group, said those at risk range in age, but all have been convicted of felonies and lost their green cards in the process.
“From what we’ve seen, people have committed crimes as small as possession of marijuana,” Moua said. “It’s been years since they’ve been done serving. They have integrated back into the community, they have businesses and families. They are contributing.”
In another show of solidarity, 36 members of the Wisconsin State Legislature wrote a letter to the state’s congressional delegates Thursday stating they would oppose any agreement that deported Hmong residents back to Laos.
“Thousands of Hmong families live, study and work here, contributing to our local economy in countless ways,” the letter said. “Many are veterans, immigrants and/or refugees, forming a strong and vibrant community that contributes unique and diverse knowledge and experiences that strengthen our collective innovation, creativity and prosperity.”
Forty-nine thousand Hmong residents call Wisconsin home. It remains unclear how many face deportation.
