A Hmong immigrant scheduled for deportation following a conviction for child sexual abuse has been granted a full pardon by the Minnesota Board of Pardons. The controversial decision was criticised by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and federal immigration officials, who accuse state leadership of shielding a violent offender.The board includes governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minnesota supreme court chief justice Natalie Hudson, who voted to clear the criminal record of 42-year-old Tou Lue Vang on June 10. The decision blocked his removal from the country, which US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed was scheduled to take place just one week later.
Deportation U-turn
Federal authorities reacted with anger to the decision. They claimed it was an attempt by Democratic leadership to subvert federal immigration enforcement.DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis condemned the decision.“Governor Tim Walz’s decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting. These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting.”Federal officials noted that Vang’s deportation had recently become viable due to a 2025 shift in diplomatic relations with Laos, which agreed to accept deportees after nearly two decades of refusal. ICE detailed the severity of Vang’s record on the social media platform X, noting that the board chose to “grant Tou Lue Vang, of Laos, a pardon for his 2006 convictions for sexual assault—strongarm sodomy and procuring a child for prostitution.“
Conviction and ‘cultural’ justification
Vang arrived in US from a Thai refugee camp in 1994 and was granted legal status under the Clinton administration. However, that status was revoked following his arrest for repeatedly assaulting a 10-year-old girl between 2002 and 2004.According to police reports cited by DHS, Vang attempted to offer the child ten dollars to buy her silence. When questioned by investigators, he attempted to justify his actions by claiming that for him “it is a cultural thing…to marry and have sex with girls as young as 12.” He further claimed that the victim was equally responsible and should also face arrest.Vang ultimately secured a plea deal, pleading guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct, which allowed him to avoid prison time. A federal immigration judge subsequently issued a final order of removal against him on October 31, 2006.
Plea for second chance
Vang’s successful pardon application relied heavily on claims of total rehabilitation since completing his probation in 2019. In his letter to the board, Vang argued that he was a changed man who had worked as a cashier and machine operator to support his six children.“My past actions – though deeply regrettable – do not reflect the man I am today. Since my conviction, I have committed myself to living an honest, responsible, and community-focused life. I have worked tirelessly to rebuild the trust of my family, friends and community,” Vang wrote. He added that the “shame and regret I carry – especially as my children have grown older and learned about my past – run deep. If it were possible to undo what happened, I would do so without hesitation. But I cannot change the past. What I can do is ask, with the utmost sincerity, for a second chance.”Vang also described his dilemma, noting he was born in the Ban Vinai refugee camp in Thailand and has no citizenship, family, or ties left in Laos.
The victim’s support
While Republican lawmakers like House Majority Whip Tom Emmer blasted Governor Walz for putting “violent illegal aliens ahead of innocent Americans,” the governor’s office pointed to an unexpected source of advocacy. When pressed for comment, Walz’s representatives directed reporters to a letter from Vang’s victim, who is now an adult, expressing her personal support for his pardon.Supporters from the local Hmong community and Vang clan leaders also vouched for him, calling him a “great role model to us” despite his past crimes. DHS, however, remains unconvinced, pointing out that Minnesota leadership has a history of similar actions, including the recent pardon of another Laotian national with a record of armed robbery.
