Rep. Kaohly Her, DFL-St. Paul, revealed a stunning detail about herself during a debate on the Minnesota House floor Monday: She came to the United States as a child illegally.
“I am illegal in this country. My parents are illegal here in this country,” Her said.
Her said she was trying to inspire empathy in her Republican colleagues, who were about to vote to take away state-funded health care for adults in Minnesota without permanent legal status.
“I tell you this story because I want you to think about who it is that you are calling illegal,” Her told House Republicans on the floor. “My family was just smarter in how we illegally came here. We had more privileges and more ability, which is why we came here in that way.”
The fourth-term lawmaker’s remarks quickly ignited a firestorm in right-wing media, which questioned her legal status and ability to cast a vote in U.S. elections. One of her Republican colleagues, Rep. Walter Hudson, R-Albertville, called for her to be investigated, and she’s already receiving threats and insults on social media.
In an interview with the Reformer, Her clarified that she and her parents are U.S. citizens. Her is a