By Macy Yang, for Hmong Daily News, republished here with permission

Heightened federal immigration enforcement has raised concerns among immigrants, advocacy groups and policymakers about hate-based targeting of Hmong residents in California.

At the intersection of immigration enforcement and hate incidents lies a complex overlap of policy, civil rights and public safety. The Hmong community in Northern California finds itself caught in that tension.

In the city of Oroville, about 70 miles north of Sacramento, members of the Hmong community report widespread anxiety tied to immigration enforcement, saying fear has begun to shape their daily lives.

The Hmong, originally from China and Laos, were granted refugee status in 1975 and allowed to immigrate to the United States following the Secret War.

Butte County is home to roughly 5,400 Hmong residents. Oroville (1,712) and Chico (1,618) account for a significant share of that population, according to Neilsberg data. The first Hmong resident is believed to have arrived in Oroville in the early 1980s.

Local organizations say the current climate has discouraged people from reporting harassment or potential hate incidents.

The Hmong Cultural Center, a nonprofit serving the region, has expanded community education and support efforts in response to rising fears regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities.

The Center provides youth programming and mental health services aimed at improving quality of life for Hmong residents in Butte County.

Amid heightened ICE raid campaigns earlier this year, “Hmong families were afraid to leave their homes, go shopping, visit loved ones, or travel, even though they are citizens,” said Seng Yang, executive director of the Center.

That fear intensified after a widely circulated video showed ICE agents arresting without a warrant Chongly Scott Thao, a Hmong American and naturalized U.S. citizen. Thao was forcibly removed from his home by agents and made to stand outside in freezing temperatures wearing only underwear and Crocs.

The incident reverberated beyond Minnesota.

In Sacramento, Cha Va canceled a planned trip to the Twin Cities for a funeral after watching Thao’s arrest, citing concerns about potential detention despite being a naturalized citizen.

He said he feared being held for hours, days or even weeks before being told he was “free to go.”

CA v Hate rally (Courtesy of CA v Hate photo library)

“We are afraid of these killings; that’s why we left communism in Laos to come to the United States,” Yang recalled one couple telling him at the Center. The couple had said the current climate resurfaced their memories of state violence in Laos, where they saw authorities target families and those aligned with U.S. efforts during the war—taking children, parents and other community members and killing them.

Yang also described another incident that happened one year ago involving an older Hmong woman living alone. While watering herbs outside her home, she noticed a nearby man gesturing his hand across his throat while looking at her. The woman interpreted the gesture as a threat to kill her. She turned to the Center for help.

Unaware that the incident could be reported through non-law enforcement channels such as the statewide hate incident and hate crime prevention campaign CA vs. Hate, staff connected her with a Hmong neighbor, with whom she exchanged contact information to stay in touch and offer support.

“There are many older people who live alone here,” Yang said. “They are vulnerable to everyday harassment and are less likely to report it due to cultural and language barriers.”

The CA vs. Hate hotline, launched in 2023, allows California residents to report hate crimes and incidents without interacting with law enforcement or having to provide identifying information. Reports can be filed online or by phone.

The hotline offers support in more than 200 languages by phone and 15 languages online.

In 2025 alone, nearly 1,000 reports were filed across 46 counties.

(Courtesy of CA v. Hate photo library)

While CA vs. Hate does not handle immigration-related issues, community organizations like the Hmong Cultural Center can help connect residents to services, including interpretation and referrals.

The California Department of Justice defines hate crimes as acts involving physical harm or threats against a victim singled out because of their actual or perceived disability, gender, nationality, race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with these actual or perceived characteristics. The state also recognizes “hate incidents” as noncriminal acts motivated by bias, such as verbal harassment, insults or the display of hateful materials, including the posting of hate messages in public spaces.

Whether fear of immigration enforcement is suppressing reporting remains an open question. For many of California’s Hmong community members, however, the effect is already visible in daily life.

Get Support After Hate:

California vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hotline and online portal offering confidential support for hate crimes and incidents. Victims and witnesses can get help anonymously by calling 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. PT, or online at any time. Anonymous. Confidential. No Police. No ICE.

This story was produced in collaboration with California vs Hate. Join them for the first-ever CA Civil Rights Summit on May 11, 2026. Register and find more information at www.cavshate.org/summit.