Overview
- The Minnesota Board of Pardons granted Tou Lue Vang a pardon on June 10, 2026, removing the state conviction that had produced a final order of removal in 2006.
- Court records show Vang pleaded guilty in 2005–2006 to first‑degree criminal sexual conduct for repeated assaults on a 10‑year‑old between 2002 and 2004; he completed probation in 2019.
- State officials say the pardon followed a recommendation from the nine‑member Clemency Review Commission and was heavily influenced by a letter from the victim asking that Vang be spared, which the board and governor cited in defending the decision.
- The Department of Homeland Security and ICE have publicly condemned the pardon and said it could complicate or block the pending deportation, but federal officials also retain administrative options to refile or restart removal proceedings so the final immigration outcome remains unsettled.
- The decision has provoked sharp political backlash from Republican officials and federal leaders while Minnesota leaders stress the board’s review process and warn federal authorities could still act, leaving families, local communities, and immigration enforcement in a state of uncertainty.