Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson (East Grand Forks) denounced the actions of the Minnesota Pardon Board, including Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, for pardoning illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes to help them avoid deportation. The pardons were made to men convicted of criminal sexual assault of a child, aggravated robbery, and assault.
“It’s unacceptable to pardon anyone for this kind of criminal behavior, but to allow an illegal immigrant to stay in our state after this crime is unconscionable. This is a troubling pattern and it’s clear Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison are more interested in scoring political points over immigration policy, rather than keeping Minnesotans safe from violent illegal immigrants.”
Background-
The Minnesota Clemency Review Commission voted on June 10 to pardon Tou Lue Vang, an illegal immigrant from Laos (according to the Department of Homeland Security).
The Minnesota Board of Pardons consists of the governor, attorney general and chief justice, all of whom voted to pardon Vang, who is now 42 years old.
Vang was sentenced to 144 months and placed on probation for 30 years. Upon completing probation in 2019, the Ramsey County District Court determined Vang was “discharged from probation” and was able to restore all civil rights and citizenship as if the conviction “had not taken place.”
During the June 10 hearing, Vang apologized for his actions, specifically noting he claimed what he did was normal in his culture.
A statement from the victim in support of a pardon was also read at the hearing.
The Department of Homeland Security released the following statement –
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement condemning Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and his fellow sanctuary politicians after they granted a pardon for an illegal alien who had been convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl.
On June 10, 2026, the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission voted to grant a pardon for Tou Lue Vang, a criminal illegal alien from Laos. Vang had been convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Vang was set to be removed from the country imminently after the pardon was announced. Now, the pardon could thwart his removal from the United States.
The letter from the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission announcing Vang’s pardon
According to court filings, Vang repeatedly sexually assaulted a girl between 2002 and 2004. On one occasion, he tried to offer his victim $10 to keep quiet about the sexual assaults. While being interviewed by police, he 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.” He also claimed that the victim was just as guilty as him and should also be arrested.
Following his conviction, a Department of Justice (DOJ) Immigration Judge issued Vang a final order of removal on October 31, 2006.
“Governor Tim Walz’s decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting. Tou Lue Vang lost his legal status following his conviction for repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl. Following the conviction, he was placed in removal proceedings and issued a final order of removal by a judge. This pardon will take away this child rapist’s qualifying convictions that made him removable from the United States.”
Vang entered the United States in 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.
This is not the first instance of the Clemency Review Commission granting a pardon to an illegal alien with a dangerous criminal history. 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.
