Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week revoked the legal status of a Laotian national convicted of child sexual abuse after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz granted him clemency last month.

Tou Lue Vang, who arrived in the U.S. as a child refugee from Laos in 1994, was convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for assaulting a 10-year-old girl between 2002 and 2005. He pleaded guilty and received a stayed 12-year sentence, eight months in county jail, and 30 years of supervised probation, which ended in 2019.

An immigration judge issued a final removal order against Vang in 2006 following his conviction. He faced imminent deportation when the Minnesota Board of Pardons unanimously granted him clemency on June 10, effectively clearing his criminal record.

Federal Response to Pardon

Rubio announced the revocation in a video posted to social media, stating federal agents had taken Vang into custody and removed him from the country. “Because of our action, this foreign criminal will never pose a threat to any American ever again,” Rubio said.

The Department of Homeland Security condemned Walz’s decision, with Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis calling the pardon “disgusting.” State pardons do not automatically eliminate immigration consequences under federal law, according to DHS.

Rubio told Fox News Digital that the action reflected the administration’s commitment to removing criminal aliens from the country. “Americans should never have to live in fear that foreign sex predators – shielded from deportation by their own elected officials – could endanger them or their children,” he said.

Political Reaction

The pardon has drawn criticism across party lines in Minnesota. House Republican Floor Leader Harry Niska called it “despicable” and accused Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison of prioritizing criminals over public safety.

Vang reportedly attempted to pay his victim for silence and described the crimes as “minor things,” according to court records cited by federal officials.