My name is Ka L. Vue, and I am the wife of Chong L. Vue, who is currently being detained by ICE in Lumpkin, Georgia. He is currently facing deportation to Laos, a country he has never known. My husband was born in a refugee camp after our family fled war and genocide, and he has lived in the United States nearly his entire life.

Chong is the father of our five children (ages 15, 11, 7, 5, and 3). He has always been our sole provider. He is hardworking, diligent, and carries every responsibility on his own shoulders. Now that he has been taken from us, our lives have completely fallen apart.

⭐️ Our family’s history why he was born in a refugee camp

Chong’s story does not begin in Detroit.

It begins long before that with a war that most Americans have never been taught.

Our people, the Hmong, fought alongside the CIA during the Secret War in Laos. After the United States withdrew, our families were left behind and targeted for genocide because they aided America. His parents had to flee their village on foot hiding in the jungles, stepping over bodies, watching other parents abandon their own children out of desperation and terror.

My mother-in law was pregnant with Chong during this escape.

It took three attempts for his parents to finally reach safety. They were prisoners in their own village at one point. They ran for their lives through the mountains until they reached a refugee camp in Thailand. That camp was the first safe place they had seen.

And it was there in that refugee camp that Chong was born.

His first home was not Laos.

His first language, first memories, first everything were shaped by love inside a refugee camp.

Soon after, our family was brought to the United States, and America became the only home Chong has ever known.

He grew up here in the US.

He went to school here.

He worked, lived, and raised his own children here.

He has no roots elsewhere because he was born from war, not from a homeland.

⭐️ Why this detention is so devastating

In July 2025, Chong went to his annual ICE check-in, as he has done faithfully for over 20 years. Nothing seemed wrong.

Months later, we received an unexpected letter requesting to review again in October. This was not part of his routine. Through the Hmong community online, we learned that other families had received similar letters always right before their loved ones were detained.

And when Chong went to that appointment… he never came home.

⭐️ His past & why the deportation order is unfair

When Chong was a teenager in Detroit in 1997, he made a mistake and completed the HYTA (Holmes Youth Training Act) program. He was told his record would be dismissed and sealed. He believed he was starting fresh.

Later, when he applied for his green card/work authorization, exactly as instructed, immigration detained him unexpectedly. He fought his case and won. A judge agreed he had the right to stay. He was released because he beat the case. There was no deportation order at that time.

It wasn’t until the government appealed the judge’s decision that a deportation order was later placed, not because he did anything wrong, but because the government pushed the case further.

Since then, for over two decades, Chong has lived under an Order of Supervision, staying compliant in every way:

✔️ Never missed a check-in

✔️ Never committed another offense

✔️ Not even a speeding ticket

✔️ Worked and provided every day

✔️ Built a family and a life in the only country he has ever known

⭐️ Our children are suffering

My younger children still wait at the door for their dad.

They ask if he’s coming home today.

They don’t understand why he’s gone.

My older ones break down quietly when they think I’m not looking.

Many nights, all five of my babies sleep in my bed because that is the closest they can feel to their father.

Our home doesn’t feel like home without him.

⭐️ Why we need help

Chong was our sole provider.

Without him, I am drowning under bills, food costs, transportation, and caring for five children alone while fighting a legal battle that feels impossible.

Your donation will help us cover:

Rent/house payments

Utilities

Clothing for the children

Groceries

Transportation

Essential needs

Costs as we fight to bring Chong home

Also please keep us in your prayers as we navigate this difficult season in our lives. Thank you for your kindness and support. If you can’t donate, Please like, comment, and share this post to help us reach more people who can assist us.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring about a father, a husband, a refugee-born American-raised man, and a family who is fighting to stay together against impossible odds.

Here other ways to donate if you prefer

-venmo: @Ka-LorVue

-Message me for Zelle or PayPal info