Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked the legal status of a man convicted of child sexual abuse after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz granted him clemency, resulting in his deportation from the United States.
The Minnesota Board of Pardons, which includes Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, unanimously granted clemency to Tou Lue Vang on June 10. The pardon came days before Vang faced an imminent deportation order.
Vang arrived in the U.S. as a child refugee from Laos in 1994 and was convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Court records show he pleaded guilty to repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl between 2002 and 2005.
The Clemency Decision
Under the plea agreement, Vang received a stayed 12-year sentence, eight months in county jail, and 30 years of supervised probation, which ended in 2019. Following his conviction, he lost his legal status and was placed in removal proceedings, with an immigration judge issuing a final deportation order in 2006.
The pardon effectively wiped Vang’s criminal record under Minnesota law. Critics argued the timing-just before his scheduled deportation-was designed to shield him from federal removal by eliminating the convictions that triggered immigration consequences.
Federal Response and Deportation
Rubio announced his decision in a video posted to social media: “Just days before he was scheduled to be deported, the Minnesota Governor pardoned him, setting him free to endanger American families once again. This week I revoked his legal status in the United States and as a result, federal agents took him into custody and as of today, he has been removed from the United States.”
The Secretary emphasized that state pardons do not automatically erase federal immigration consequences. “Americans should never have to live in fear that foreign sex predators-shielded from deportation by their own elected officials-could endanger them or their children,” Rubio told Fox News Digital.
The Department of Homeland Security also criticized the pardon, with Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis stating: “Governor Tim Walz’s decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting.”
Bipartisan Criticism
The clemency decision drew sharp criticism from both sides of the political spectrum in Minnesota. House Republican Floor Leader Harry Niska called the pardon “despicable” and “morally indefensible,” accusing state officials of prioritizing criminals over public safety.
Walz’s decision to grant the pardon has become a focal point in ongoing debates over clemency authority and federal immigration enforcement. The case illustrates tensions between state executive power and federal immigration law.
This story has been updated. CNN’s Digital team contributed to this report.
