Minnesota Board of Pardons Grants Pardon to Man Convicted of Child Sexual Assault

Overview

• The Minnesota Board of Pardons granted a pardon to Tou Lue Vang on June 10, 2026, following a recommendation from the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission.
• Vang was convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for repeatedly assaulting a 10-year-old between 2002 and 2006 and pleaded guilty as part of a deal that kept him out of prison.
• The Clemency Review Commission voted to approve Vang’s petition in April 2026 with four members in favor, two opposed and three absent, and the board took that recommendation when acting in June.
• The Department of Homeland Security criticized the pardon and said Vang lost his legal immigration status after the 2006 conviction, a fact federal officials say could preserve or revive a removal order.
• Minnesota officials framed the pardon as recognition of rehabilitation, while legal experts note that state pardons can clear or mitigate state records but do not automatically nullify federal immigration consequences.