St. Paul mayor, a Hmong American, said it was 'heartbreaking' to see man taken by immigration agents
Source: NBC News
Jan. 21, 2026, 5:05 PM EST / Updated Jan. 21, 2026, 6:30 PM EST
MINNEAPOLIS — Kaohly Her took office as the first woman and the first Asian American mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, the week an immigration officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen who lived nearly 15 miles west of her city. “Nobody ever comes into an office and within the third day of being in office there’s an ICE shooting,” Her told NBC affiliate KARE of Minneapolis in an interview Tuesday. “But I also understand that this is the moment in which you are asked to lead, and so you step up and you lead. ... I hope I’m rising to the moment.”
Born in Laos, Her is the first person of Hmong ancestry to become the mayor of St. Paul, which is home to the country’s largest urban Hmong population, according to Pew Research. Neighbors in that community raised concerns this week over a rise in immigration raids targeting people of Hmong descent, with outrage growing after the arrest of ChongLy Scott Thao, a naturalized U.S. citizen who is also a Hmong immigrant.
Videos of the incident Sunday show immigration officers breaking down the door to Thao’s home, arresting him and escorting him out in freezing conditions wearing only shorts, a blanket and sandals. Thao, 57, was returned to his home later in the day.
Her recognized Thao when she saw the images. He is her friend Louansee Moua’s brother-in-law. Moua had written a Facebook post decrying what happened to Thao. “When I saw what she had posted, I called her immediately, and the next morning she and I touched base and talked about what had happened,” Her said. “It was heartbreaking to watch somebody get dragged out of their home.”
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/st-paul-mayor-hmong-american-kaohly-her-immigration-arrests-rcna255174