Minnesota Board Grants Pardon to Immigrant Convicted of Child Sexual Abuse

On June 10 2026 the Minnesota Board of Pardons—Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson—issued a full pardon to Tou Lue Vang, a 42-year-old Laotian immigrant. The pardon erased his 2006 first-degree criminal sexual conduct conviction and stopped an imminent deportation to Laos.

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Vang pleaded guilty in 2006 to repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl between 2002 and 2004. The plea avoided prison but triggered a final removal order on Oct 31 2006. He completed court-mandated treatment, finished probation on March 5 2019, and worked as a Walmart cashier and machine operator, yet the conviction barred stable housing and employment for his six children. He arrived in the United States in 1994, and a 2025 agreement with Laos reopened his deportation case.

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The Department of Homeland Security called the pardon “disgusting” and said it shields “criminal illegal aliens.” ICE noted the board’s vote came a week before Vang’s scheduled removal. The governor’s office cited the victim’s supportive letter when responding to media inquiries. DHS also referenced a prior pardon of Jai Vang for unrelated crimes.

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Republican leaders, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, condemned the decision as putting “violent illegal aliens ahead of innocent Americans.” Trump-administration officials framed the pardon as part of a broader pattern of Democratic officials protecting criminal non-citizens from deportation.

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One source identifies Vang as a Laotian national, while his own statement claims birth in the Ban Vinai refugee camp in Thailand. The abuse period is reported as 2002-2004 in one account and 2002-2006 in another, creating a timeline discrepancy.

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• “These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting,” — Lauren Bis, DHS Acting Assistant Secretary.

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• “ DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said: "Governor Tim Walz's decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting.” — Lauren Bis, DHS.

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• “I’m angry and disgusted at yet another action by our feckless governor that puts violent illegal aliens ahead of innocent Americans.” — Tom Emmer, House Majority Whip.

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• “In the pardon request, Vang said: "My past actions - though deeply regrettable - do not reflect the man I am today.” — Tou Lue Vang, pardon request.

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The pardon clears Vang’s record and halts his scheduled removal, but the original 2006 removal order remains legally enforceable. Federal agencies may still seek to enforce deportation, potentially prompting judicial review of the board’s authority to override removal orders. The case is likely to shape future state-level clemency decisions involving immigrants with criminal convictions and may intensify congressional debate over federal-state coordination on immigration enforcement.

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