ST. PAUL (AP) -- A Trump administration push for the deportation of Vietnam War-era refugees has sparked protests from St. Paul's Southeast Asian community, with elected officials and families saying they will do whatever they can to fight it.

Rep.-elected Kaohly Her on Thursday called it a betrayal of wartime promise. She condemned the deportations measure while recalling the bravery of her grandfather, who fought alongside U.S. soldiers before resettling his family in the United States.

It's not clear when the deportations could begin, but advocates and community members say they've known since a roundup of dozens of Vietnamese-Americans last year that the U.S. government has taken a new posture on their longtime status.

Federal authorities say 8,705 Vietnamese with deportation orders live in the United States.

More From AM 1240 WJON