ICE deports criminal illegal immigrant despite Minnesota pardon

By Elyse Apel
The Center Square

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported a criminal illegal immigrant despite an effort by the Minnesota Board of Pardons to prevent his removal.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which criticized the board for issuing a pardon for Tou Lue Vang on June 10, confirmed the deportation.

“ICE deported Tou Vang, an illegal alien convicted child rapist. This monster repeatedly sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis in a statement released Friday. “Tim Walz pardoned this sex criminal in an attempt to allow him to remain in our country. These are the criminal illegal aliens he and sanctuary politicians are protecting. We will always put the safety of the American people first.”

The pardon was unanimously approved this spring by Minnesota’s Board of Pardons, which includes Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson.

Both Walz and Ellison are Democrats, while Hudson serves in a nonpartisan role. She was appointed to her role by Walz.

Federal officials said Vang, who was convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, had a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge that same year. Before receiving the pardon, he was facing “imminent” deportation by the Trump administration.

That pardon removed the conviction that made Vang removable under federal immigration law, which DHS previously said put his deportation in jeopardy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the case in a video on Friday.

“Just days before this foreign sex offender was scheduled to be deported, Tim Walz, the governor, issued him a pardon, setting him free to once again endanger the children of America,” Rubio said. “This week, I revoked his legal status in the United States, and as a result, federal agents took him into custody . . . because of our action, this foreign criminal will never pose a threat to any Americans ever again.”

He called out Democrats for trying to prevent the deportation.

“Americans must never be forced by their elected leaders to live alongside foreign sex criminals who have no right to begin with to reside in our country,” Rubio said. “This administration will always stand with the American people and defend them from violent criminals.”

According to court records, Vang repeatedly sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl between 2002 and 2004.

DHS said prosecutors alleged Vang attempted to pay the victim $10 to remain silent and later told investigators “it is a cultural thing” to marry and have sex with girls as young as 12. He also claimed the victim shared responsibility for the assaults.

Vang, a native of Laos, entered the United States in 1994 and obtained legal status. Following his conviction, he lost that status.

Under Minnesota law, Vang’s pardon set aside his criminal record and purged it from his criminal record. Vang would also no longer be required to disclose the conviction.

On Monday, DHS addressed media reports that allege Vang’s pending deportation was a factor considered in his pardon.

“[Walz] and Minnesota sanctuary politicians granted CHILD RAPIST Tou Lue Vang a pardon in an attempt to let him stay in our country,” DHS said on social media. “While Walz and his fellow sanctuary politicians fight to protect illegal alien sickos like this, we’ll keep fighting to get them OUT of our country.”

Walz addressed the case in a recent press conference.

“I would note that immigration status or pending deportation is not a reason in and of itself in the granting of a pardon,” Walz said.

That said, he said he could find “no reason” for deportation.

“In Mr. Vang’s case, I state this: I can find no reason how Minnesota will be safer or better if Mr. Vang is deported to a country he has not been to since he was a child,” Walz said. “I do not see how it would serve his family and the stability of his family, nor the economic interests of Minnesota, where we have a tax-paying citizen who is creating job growth and living a life free from any criminal activity.”

DHS called these comments “truly disgusting.”