The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement regarding the Minnesota Star Tribune's coverage of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests involving illegal aliens with criminal backgrounds. The article in question has sparked controversy due to its sub-headline, which suggests that deportations have caused anxiety within the Hmong community and raised accusations of cultural misunderstanding.
The DHS criticized the publication for allegedly sympathizing with individuals convicted of serious crimes. One such individual, Chia Neng Vue, was highlighted in the story. Vue was convicted in 1998 for criminal sexual conduct with a child under 13 years old and for committing a crime for the benefit of a gang. Despite being issued a final order of removal on October 31, 2003, he continued to engage in criminal activities.
Vue's record includes multiple arrests: possession of an assault weapon in 2009, first-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2010, dangerous weapons and domestic assault charges in 2011, violation of a domestic abuse no-contact order later that year, and felon convicted crime of violence charges in 2012. ICE apprehended him again on June 7, 2025.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin expressed strong disapproval towards what she termed "gross reporting," emphasizing there is no justification for crimes against children. She stated: “There is no excuse for anyone to commit crimes against innocent children... Instead of glorifying child pedophiles and violent criminal illegal aliens, the Minnesota Star Tribune should be thanking our law enforcement for removing these pedophiles from Minnesota.”
