Marco Rubio announced the deportation of Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian immigrant pardoned by Minnesota officials last month for a 2006 sex crime conviction. The deportation follows the revocation of Vang's legal status by the Trump administration, drawing criticism from state officials.
The case highlights the ongoing tension between state-level pardons and federal immigration enforcement, particularly concerning individuals with criminal convictions. It also underscores the political debate surrounding immigration policy and the treatment of undocumented immigrants with past offenses.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, announced the deportation of Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian immigrant who had been pardoned by Minnesota officials last month for a 2006 conviction of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Vang was accused of raping a young girl between 2002 and 2004.
Because Laos initially refused to accept deportees, Vang had lived in Minnesota for nearly two decades. He was detained in December 2025 during an immigration crackdown, and a federal judge ordered his release from ICE custody in February 2026.
In June, Vang received a pardon from the Minnesota board of pardons after expressing remorse and receiving a letter from his victim stating she had forgiven him and he was not the same person. However, the Trump administration used the case to criticize Minnesota officials.
Rubio stated that Vang's legal status was revoked, leading to his custody and removal from the United States. He emphasized that Vang would no longer pose a threat. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Vang first arrived in the US in 1994, was granted legal status, but it was revoked after his conviction, with a final removal order issued in 2006.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's office did not comment. Deputy Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis called the pardon decision "disgusting," and Representative Tom Emmer expressed anger, criticizing the governor for prioritizing "violent illegal aliens ahead of innocent Americans."
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