Minnesota nears state benefits for Hmong CIA vets
Minnesota Hmong veterans who served the CIA in the Secret War are one step closer to receiving state benefits after recent legislative action. The move follows years of advocacy from Hmong veterans and their families seeking recognition for their role in the CIA's covert operations in Laos during the Vietnam-era conflict.
Minnesota is home to one of the country's largest Hmong populations, and supporters say state benefits would address long-standing health, economic and social needs tied to wartime service and displacement. Fox 9 reported the legislative development, which advocates hailed as a major step toward formal recognition and assistance.
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đ Key Facts
- About 1,000 surviving Hmong SGU veterans who fought with the CIA in Laos live in Minnesota and stand to benefit from the bills.
- The Legislature already recognized these SGU fighters as veterans last year but left benefit specifics unresolved.
- Current bills would provide at least burial privileges at state veterans cemeteries and veterans preference in state hiring and promotion, with final benefit scope still under debate.
- An estimated 35,000 SGU soldiers died during the Laos conflict, and surviving fighters fled to the U.S. as refugees after the CIA pulled out.
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April 20, 2026