Deportation fears among Hmong community

Our Shaun Gallagher speaks with a Milwaukee woman about her concerns regarding the possible deportation of Hmong communities.

NEW AT FIVE: MEMBERS OFWISCONSIN'S HMONG COMMUNITYMAY BE AT RISK OF BEINGDEPORTED UNDER A PLAN PUTFORTH BY THE TRUMPADMINISTRATION.

THAT ACCORDINGTO A MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROMMINNESOTA.SHAUN GALLAGHERSPOKE WITH A MILWAUKEE WOMANABOUT HER CONCERNS, SHAUN?NEWS ABOUT WHAT THECONGRESSWOMAN IS ALLEGING ISSPREADING QUICKLY IN THE HMONGCOMMUNITY.ONE WOMAN I SPOKEWITH SAYS THERE'S A GROWINGFEAR OF BEING DEPORTED TO ACOUNTRY THEY DON'T CONSIDERHOME.SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEOMET WITH THE LAO FOREIGNMINISTER LAST MONTH.

THE STATEDEPARTMENT SAYS THE MEETINGWAS TO STRENGTHEN APARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE TWOCOUNTRIESBUT IN THIS LETTER TOSECRETARY POMPEO, MINNESOTACONGRESSWOMAN BETTY MCCOLLUMEXPRESSED CONCERNS THE U-S ISACTUALLY ATTEMPTING TO DEPORTHMONG AND LAO RESIDENTS.

.myfirst reaction is, is this forreal?

.DAWN YANG IS THEGENERAL MANAGER OF A HMONGAMERICAN COMMUNITY T-V SHOWHERE IN MILWAUKEE.

HER FAMILYHAS BEEN HERE SINCE THE 70sBUT SHE'S NERVOUS THEY COULDBE SENT BACK TO LAOS UNDERTHIS PLAN.

.this is a hugeconcern.

What if you fallbetween the cracks or you're amistake or you're sent backand you were raised here.

Ifyou are sent back, you prettymuch are going to be alienatedand pretty much struggle ifyou're sent back.

.SINCE 2000,143 PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN HAVEFACED DEPORTATION TO LAOSACCORDING TO DATA COMPILED BYSYRACUSE UNIVERSITY.NEARLYHALF WERE ACTUALLY DEPORTED.DAWN WORRIES HER FAMILY COULDBE NEXT .

.the hmong peoplesacrificed a lot to be here.thousands died during vietnamfighting alongside the USduring the secret war.

We feelwe have the right to be here.we've earned it.

The newdeportation policy is justactualyl, kind of a slap inthe face.WISCONSIN SENATOR TAMMYBALDWIN SENT THIS STATEMENTTODAY, SAYING IN PART,"Wisconsin has a special bondwith the Hmong community andit is my hope that thisadministration will stop itsplan to break this bond withmy constituents."I ALSO REACHED OUT TO SENATORRON JOHNSON ABOUT THIS PLAN.HESAYS THEY'VE REACHED OUT TOIMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMSENFORCEMENT FOR MOREINFORMATION.

IN THE NEWSROOM,SG, TMJ-4.