Overview
- Federal officials said Friday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked Tou Lue Vang’s U.S. legal status and that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took him into custody and deported him.
- Minnesota’s three‑person Board of Pardons granted Vang a pardon on June 10 after a recommendation from the Clemency Review Commission and letters submitted on his behalf.
- State clemency erased Vang’s Minnesota conviction, but federal immigration law allowed DHS to terminate his status and resume removal despite the pardon.
- The Board of Pardons said the decision followed an exhaustive review that included a statement from the victim who supported clemency and multiple community letters.
- The episode prompted sharp criticism from DHS and Republican officials and is likely to sharpen scrutiny of future state pardons for noncitizens and federal responses to them.