...
By Jasmine Laws
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The Minnesota Board of Pardons, composed of Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, has granted a pardon to an immigrant, who was set to be deported after being convicted of sexually abusing a minor, prompting outrage from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The decision comes amid renewed federal enforcement of long-standing removal orders following a 2025 shift in Laos’ willingness to accept deportees, which reopened cases that had previously been difficult to execute for nearly two decades.
Tou Lue Vang, 42, came to the U.S. as a child and was set to be deported after he repeatedly sexually assaulted a girl between 2002 and 2004, according to court documents seen by DHS.
Read More on U.S.
The pardon comes after Vang submitted a letter to the board saying "I fully acknowledge and take full responsibility for the mistakes I made in the past," adding that he was "no longer the person I once was." Friends and family members also submitted letters to the board, expressing their "wholehearted support" for Vang's pardon.
Democratic governors have faced scrutiny by the Trump administration for pardoning immigrants with criminal records once they have served their sentences, as Trump officials have alleged it is an effort to slow or prevent deportations. Walz has also frequently clashed with the Trump administration over immigration policy.
DHS said this wasn't the first instance of Minnesota officials granting a pardon to an immigrant with a criminal record. "In May, Minnesota pardoned Jai Vang, a criminal illegal alien from Laos, whose criminal record includes convictions for robbery, robbery of a business with a gun, and driving under the influence of liquor," DHS said.
Newsweek has contacted Walz, the Minnesota Board of Pardons and Vang's attorney outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
...
Who Is Tou Lue Vang?
Vang is an immigrant from Laos, who is married with six children. He came to the U.S. - to California specifically - in 1994 and was granted legal status by the administration of former President Bill Clinton. That status was revoked upon his conviction.
Per DHS' report, he repeatedly sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl and also tried to offer his victim $10 to keep quiet about the sexual assaults.
DHS also said that, while being interviewed by police, Vang tried to justify his actions by saying that for him “it is a cultural thing...to marry and have sex with girls as young as 12.” Per DHS's release, he also said the victim was just as guilty as him and should also be arrested.
Vang pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct in a plea deal that spared him from serving time in prison. Following his conviction, a Department of Justice (DOJ) Immigration Judge issued Vang a final order of removal on October 31, 2006.
In his pardon letter, he said that he was not born in Laos, but in the Ban Vinai refugee camp in northeastern Thailand. He said that he holds no other citizenship or legal residency in any other country, and that all of his immediate family live in the U.S., with "no surviving relatives in Laos."
He also said that he is the eldest of five children, and that his father passed away when he was seven years old while he was living in the refugee camp in Thailand.
What Did He Say In His Pardon Request?
In the pardon request, Vang said: "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."
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."
He outlined the work had been doing since his conviction, ranging from various roles "serving the Vang family of Minnesota," working as a cashier at Walmart and a machine operator at Water Gremlin in White Bear Lake, as well as completing all of the court-mandated treatment programs and educational requirements.
Despite completing his probation - which ended on March 5, 2019 - he said that his conviction has meant he continues to face challenges securing employment, accessing education and obtaining housing.
"A pardon would help lift or ease these restrictions, allowing me to more fully support my family by providing a secure and stable home for my children and helping them pursue their education so that they may have a brighter and more promising future," he wrote.
Vang's family members also sent in letters. Nehgher Vang, who said he was Vang's uncle, said that: "I am fully aware of the mistake he made in the past but I know that it does not reflect the person he is today."
"I can personally attest to the extraordinary growth and transformation he has undergone over the years," he added.
The clan leaders of the Vang family also emphasized the work Vang had been doing in the community, saying that he is a "great role model to us," despite his "mistakes" in the past.
Vang's Pardon Sparks Outrage
The pardon has effectively cleared Vang's criminal record and halted his deportation, prompting anger among Trump officials and GOP lawmakers.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also wrote on the social media platform X, saying: "The Minnesota Board of Pardons voted June 10 to grant Tou Lue Vang, of Laos, a pardon for his 2006 convictions for sexual assault—strongarm sodomy and procuring a child for prostitution. This pardon came just a week before Vang was set to be REMOVED from our nation."
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. These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting."
When approached by the New York Times for comment, Walz's office directed them to a letter from Vang's victim, who was 10 when the abuse began, who also reportedly supported the pardon.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer also wrote on X: "I’m angry and disgusted at yet another action by our feckless governor that puts violent illegal aliens ahead of innocent Americans."
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Cristina Diciu.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines