US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the deportation of Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian immigrant who was pardoned by Minnesota state officials in June for a 2006 conviction of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Vang was removed from the United States on Friday, according to a video statement posted by Rubio.
Details of the Case
Vang, an immigrant from Laos, was convicted in 2006 for raping a young girl between 2002 and 2004. Because Laos initially refused to accept deportees, Vang remained in Minnesota for nearly two decades. In December 2025, federal authorities detained him during a major immigration crackdown, and a federal judge ordered his release from ICE custody in February 2026.
In June, the Minnesota Board of Pardons granted Vang a pardon after he expressed remorse and the victim submitted a letter forgiving him. The victim wrote, “I have made my peace” and stated, “He is not the same person now. I have seen how he has changed,” as reported by the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Federal Response
The Trump administration used the case to criticize Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other state Democratic officials. Rubio said, “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. Because of our action, this foreign criminal will never pose a threat to any American ever again.”
Walz’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Earlier this month, Deputy Assistant Homeland Security Secretary for Media Relations Lauren Bis called the pardon “disgusting.” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer also expressed anger, writing on X, “I’m angry and disgusted at yet another action by our feckless governor that puts violent illegal aliens ahead of innocent Americans.”
Legal Status and Removal
The Department of Homeland Security stated that Vang entered the US in 1994 and was granted legal status, but his status was revoked after his conviction. A final order of removal was issued in 2006. Despite the state pardon, federal immigration authorities proceeded with deportation under federal law.
