Deportation of Tou Lue Vang After Minnesota Pardon Sparks Federal-State Clash

On Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Department of Homeland Security revoked the legal status of Laotian national Tou Lue Vang, triggering his removal by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The action follows the Minnesota Board of Pardons’ vote on June 10 to grant Vang a pardon despite his 2006 conviction for first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a 10-year-old victim.

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Vang entered the United States in 1994 and received legal status under the Clinton administration. After his 2006 conviction, an immigration judge issued a final deportation order on October 31, 2006. The Minnesota Board of Pardons, comprising Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, approved the pardon after receiving supportive letters, including one from the victim who said she forgave Vang. The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted the original case, opposed the pardon, arguing the victim had faced family pressure to remain silent. Vang is not the first Laotian immigrant Minnesota officials have attempted to shield; a similar pardon was granted to Jai Vang in 2026.

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Rubio framed the deportation as a corrective measure, stating that the pardon “attempted to allow him to remain in our country.” Minnesota officials cited the victim’s forgiveness as a key factor in their decision, while the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office warned that the pardon undermined the original sentencing of 30 years’ probation.

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Critics highlighted Vang’s own justification of his crimes as “a cultural thing … to marry and have sex with girls as young as 12,” arguing the pardon ignored the severity of his offenses. Advocacy groups and some state legislators expressed concern that the pardon set a dangerous precedent for leniency toward serious sexual-assault convictions.

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• “@ICEgov has DEPORTED Tou Vang, the illegal alien CHILD RAPIST @GovTimWalz pardoned in an attempt to allow him to remain in our country.” — Marco Rubio

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• “a cultural thing … to marry and have sex with girls as young as 12,” — Department of Homeland Security report

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• “was experiencing pressure from her family to not cooperate,” — The New York Times report on the victim’s statement

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• “An immigration judge issued Vang a final deportation order on October 31, 2006, following his conviction.” — Department of Homeland Security summary

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