The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has publicly condemned Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and fellow state officials following a decision to grant a pardon to an illegal alien previously convicted of child sexual assault.
On June 10, 2026, the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission voted to grant a pardon to Tou Lue Vang, a citizen of Laos. Court documents show that Vang was convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for repeatedly assaulting a girl between 2002 and 2004.
During police interviews at the time, Vang attempted to offer the victim $10 for her silence and told investigators “it is a cultural thing…to marry and have sex with girls as young as 12,” while arguing the victim should also be arrested.
Vang originally entered the United States through California in 1994, where he received legal status under the Clinton administration. That status was revoked on October 31, 2006, when a Department of Justice Immigration Judge issued a final order of removal following his criminal conviction.
Federal authorities stated that Vang’s deportation was imminent prior to the commission’s vote, but the newly issued pardon could now legally block his removal from the country.
“Governor Tim Walz’s decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in the federal agency’s statement. “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.”
This marks the second time in recent months that the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission has faced federal scrutiny over a pardon granted to an undocumented individual with a felony record.
In May 2026, the commission granted a pardon to Jai Vang, another Laotian national, whose prior convictions included robbery, armed business robbery, and driving under the influence.
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