An illegal alien who admitted to sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl but blamed “cultural norms in Thailand” was granted a pardon by the Minnesota Board of Pardons, which includes Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Tou Lue Vang was detained by ICE in December 2025 during Operation Metro Surge.
In 2005, Tou Lue Vang pleaded guilty to repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl when he was around 18 years old. He admitted to the sexual contact during the investigation but described it as a “minor thing,” referenced cultural differences/norms (claiming it was “a cultural thing to marry and have sex with girls as young as 12”), and said the child should be arrested and was also at fault
Vang was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a serious felony in Minnesota involving sexual penetration or contact with a child under 13. This offense typically carries a lengthy prison sentence, often decades.
The court, however, sentenced him to 30 years of supervised probation with no prison time. The outcome has been widely viewed as unusually lenient for such a heinous crime.
Although Vang had been living under probation since his conviction, the sex offense made him deportable under federal immigration law. In fact, a removal order was issued in 2006. Yet, he remained in the United States for years until ICE detained him in December 2025 as part of Operation Metro Surge; he faced imminent deportation to Laos.
The pardon issued by the Board of Pardons effectively wipes his state criminal record clean. This essentially removes a basis for the federal deportation proceedings tied directly to the sex offense conviction. As a result, Vang gains legal avenues to challenge and potentially delay or avoid removal, allowing him to remain in the United States with his wife and six children.
The three-member Board of Pardons consisted of Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson.
The Trump administration has accused Minnesota leaders of prioritizing sanctuary-style policies over public safety, labeling the move as an example of misplaced mercy that disregards the severity of crimes against children.
The Department of Homeland Security, strongly condemned the pardon with an official statement, with Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis declaring: “Governor Tim Walz’s decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting. These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting.” Federal officials argue that the pardon shields a convicted child sex offender from accountability and interferes with efforts to deport individuals with serious criminal histories.
Legally, a state pardon does not erase federal immigration consequences or automatically cancel a deportation order. However, it weakens the criminal grounds used by ICE, opening opportunities for the individual to seek relief in immigration court, such as cancellation of removal. Vang’s situation could lead to prolonged legal proceedings as he fights to stay in the country.
