Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked the legal status of a Laotian man convicted of child sexual assault after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz granted him a pardon weeks before his scheduled deportation.
Tou Lue Vang arrived in the United States as a child refugee from Laos in 1994. In 2006, he was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for repeatedly assaulting a 10-year-old girl between 2002 and 2005.
Court records show Vang 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. Following his conviction, he lost his legal immigration status and faced removal proceedings, with an immigration judge issuing a final deportation order in 2006.
The Pardon and Its Consequences
Walz granted Vang a pardon just days before his scheduled deportation, a decision that drew immediate criticism from federal immigration officials and Republicans. “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 of Homeland Security Lauren Bis said in a statement.
Rubio moved quickly to reverse the effect of the pardon by revoking Vang’s legal status. In a video posted to X, Rubio stated: “This week I revoked his legal status in the United States and as a result, federal agents took him into custody and as of today, he has been removed from the United States.”
“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,” Rubio told Fox News Digital.
Bipartisan Pushback
The pardon generated criticism across party lines in Minnesota. Republican House Floor Leader Harry Niska called it “despicable” and “morally indefensible,” accusing Walz and state officials of prioritizing clemency over public safety.
State pardons restore certain civil rights under state law but do not erase immigration consequences under federal statute. Rubio’s action ensured that Vang’s pardon did not create a legal pathway for him to remain in the country.
