Minnesota Governor Walz Pardons Child Sex Offender Amid DHS Condemnation

The Minnesota Board of Pardons, which includes Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, both Democrats, granted a pardon to Tou Lue Vang, 42, on June 10.

Vang pleaded guilty in 2005 to first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a 10-year-old girl and was sentenced in 2006. A native of Thailand who came to the United States from Laos in 1994, Vang expressed regret for his actions in his application for clemency and stated that a pardon would help him remain with his wife and six children.

The victim also submitted a letter supporting the pardon.

Vang’s plea agreement spared him from prison. The pardon removed many of the legal consequences of his conviction under state law and could provide another avenue to challenge deportation.

“Gov. Tim Walz’s decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting,” said Lauren Bis, acting assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. “These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting.”

Walz’s office pointed to the victim’s letter as significant in the board’s decision.

DHS court filings reveal that Vang repeatedly sexually assaulted a girl between 2002 and 2004, once offering her $10 to keep quiet. During a police interview, Vang claimed it was “a cultural thing” to marry and have sex with girls as young as 12 and that the victim was just as guilty as he was.

Bis stated: “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.”

DHS noted that Vang entered the U.S. in California in 1994 and was granted legal status by the Clinton administration, which was revoked upon his conviction and final order of removal in 2006.

Ellison’s office stated: “The Minnesota Board of Pardons made a unanimous decision to grant Tou Lue Vang this pardon after an exhaustive process which included a statement of support for the pardon from the victim, a recommendation to grant the pardon from the Clemency Review Commission and a large number of community support letters.”

Chief Justice Natalie Hudson declined to comment but said she voted in favor of the pardon because “we’ve seen some evidence here of rehabilitation, but obviously the victim’s statement here is very significant for me.”

DHS also noted that in May, the board granted a reprieve to Jai Vang, an illegal alien from Laos convicted of felony robbery with a gun. Jai Vang’s record includes convictions for robbery, robbery of a business with a gun, and driving under the influence.

“DHS is calling on Gov. Walz to stop these dangerous political games and to stop prioritizing criminal illegal aliens over American citizens,” Bis said in a June 1 statement.

Walz, who is not seeking reelection this year, has indicated that the threat of removal is one factor among many considered by the board when deciding pardons, and they have rejected relief for others facing deportation.

This year, the board has denied at least four pardons to people convicted of sex crimes, three of whom were facing deportation.