The Minnesota Board of Pardons granted a full pardon last month to a Laos national who had been convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl over a period of four years. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from federal immigration officials.
According to Fox News Digital, the board granted the pardon for Tou Lue Vang, 42, at its June 10 meeting. The board is led by Democratic Governor Tim Walz, state Attorney General Keith Ellison, and state Chief Justice Natalie Hudson. The Minnesota Clemency Review Commission had recommended the pardon after its own vote in April, with four members voting in favor, two against, and three absent.
Vang was convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Court records show that between 2002 and 2006, he repeatedly sexually assaulted the girl. At one point, he offered her $10 to stay quiet about the abuse, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He pleaded guilty in a plea deal that spared him from prison time.
Carli Stark, the executive director of the state Clemency Review Commission, informed Vang of the board's decision in a letter. "Being granted a pardon is a notable achievement and a reflection of the work you have done since your conviction," Stark wrote in her letter to Vang.
Vang entered the United States through California in 1994 and was granted legal status under the Clinton administration. That status was revoked following his conviction and a final order of removal in 2006.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. The pardon effectively clears his record.
When he was arrested in 2005, Vang admitted to sexual contact with the girl but blamed cultural norms in Thailand, according to a complaint obtained by the New York Times. In his pardon application, he cited years of rehabilitation and said he had taken full responsibility for his actions.
DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis responded directly to the pardon. "Governor Tim Walz's decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting," 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 as a result of his conviction. Fox News Digital reported it had reached out to Walz, the White House, and the Ramsey County Attorney's Office, which originally prosecuted Vang, but had not received responses. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Walz and Minnesota officials over sanctuary policies that shield undocumented immigrants, including those with violent criminal records, from federal immigration enforcement.
