Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked the legal status of a Laotian national convicted of child sexual assault after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz granted him clemency last month, enabling federal agents to deport him from the United States.
Tou Lue Vang was convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for repeatedly assaulting a 10-year-old girl between 2002 and 2005. He pleaded guilty under a deal that resulted in 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 deportation order in 2006, and Vang faced imminent removal when the Minnesota Board of Pardons unanimously granted him clemency on June 10. The board includes Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Chief Justice Natalie Hudson.
What Rubio Did
Rubio said in a video statement this week that he revoked Vang’s legal status, resulting in federal custody and his removal from the country. “Because of our action, this foreign criminal will never pose a threat to any American ever again,” Rubio said.
The Secretary of State told Fox News Digital that “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.”
The Reaction
The Department of Homeland Security condemned Walz’s pardon decision, with Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis stating it was “disgusting” and allowed a criminal to remain in the country despite his removal order.
Minnesota House Republican Floor Leader Harry Niska called the pardon “despicable” and “morally indefensible,” accusing Walz and Ellison of prioritizing criminals over public safety and obstructing federal immigration enforcement.
What This Means
State pardons restore certain civil rights under state law but do not automatically erase immigration consequences under federal statute. By revoking Vang’s legal status, Rubio ensured that Walz’s clemency did not create a loophole allowing a convicted child predator to remain in the country.
The action underscores the Trump administration’s approach to federal immigration authority and the removal of individuals with criminal convictions.