Lue Yang, a Hmong refugee convicted as a teenager in Michigan, faced deportation to Laos after 23 years of building a life in the U.S. When ICE arrived at his automotive plant in July 2025, he embraced his wife Ann Vue and whispered, 'Don’t let me disappear.' This sparked a 100-day legal battle to halt his removal. Yang had lost permanent residency after a youthful conviction involving stolen goods, but had since married, raised six children, and become a community leader. Vue, a U.S. citizen and daughter of Hmong refugees, led the effort from their home in St. Johns, Michigan, managing legal research, advocacy, and family duties while Yang was detained in Baldwin, Michigan.

Their team pursued strategies to vacate his old conviction through the Clinton County prosecutor, arguing it would erase the basis for deportation. Despite obstacles like ineligibility for bond due to a final removal order, Vue persisted, consulting lawyers, contacting representatives, and monitoring developments from a basement workstation. The fight highlighted the human cost of strict deportation policies on long-term residents with deep community ties, as Yang’s fate hung on a last-minute legal reprieve before a flight to Laos—a country he barely knew.