Minnesota officials, including Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, pardoned an immigrant in the country illegally last month after he had been convicted of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl and was facing deportation.
Acting on a recommendation from the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission, the Minnesota Board of Pardons — chaired by Walz alongside state Attorney General Keith Ellison and state Chief Justice Natalie Hudson — approved a pardon for 42-year-old Laos national Tou Lue Vang during its June 10 meeting, according to a notification letter sent to Vang by Carli Stark, executive director of the CRC.
The decision effectively restores Vang’s legal standing by clearing the conviction from his record.
“Being granted a pardon is a notable achievement and a reflection of the work you have done since your conviction,” Stark wrote in the letter to Vang.
Vang was convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct after repeatedly assaulting the girl between 2002 and 2006.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, he at one point offered the victim $10 in an effort to keep her from reporting the abuse.
He ultimately pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct under a plea agreement that allowed him to avoid prison time.
“Governor Tim Walz’s decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. “These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting.”
Bis noted that Vang lost his legal status following his conviction.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Walz, the White House and the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted Vang for the assaults.
When he was arrested on charges in 2005, Vang admitted to having sexual contact with the girl but blamed cultural norms in Thailand, according to the complaint obtained by the New York Times.
The CRC, which includes nine members, voted to approve Mr. Vang’s petition in April. Four members voted in favor, two voted against, and three were absent, the Times reported.
The board takes the commission’s review into account but retains the ultimate authority to grant or deny pardons.
In his application, Vang cited his years of rehabilitation and argued that he has taken full responsibility for his actions.
Vang entered the US through California in 1994, and was granted legal status by the Clinton administration. That status was revoked upon his conviction and final order of removal in 2006.
He was detained by federal authorities last year as part of the Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Walz and Minnesota officials over sanctuary policies that protect illegal immigrants, even those convicted of violent crimes, from federal authorities.
DHS noted that the Review Commission has granted pardons to undocumented immigrants before.
In May, the state pardoned Jai Vang, a Laotian citizen whose criminal history includes convictions for robbery, armed robbery of a business, and driving under the influence of liquor.
