Friday, Jul 24, 2026 The claims desk. Receipts included. POWERED BY LENZ
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POLITICS

The Claim

The Minnesota Board of Pardons granted clemency to Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian national convicted of repeatedly sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl, and U.S. federal authorities deported him anyway.

The Short Version

Multiple credible outlets and DHS/ICE statements report that Minnesota’s Board of Pardons granted Tou Lue Vang clemency in June 2026 for a conviction involving repeated sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl, and that federal authorities deported him afterward. The deportation is consistent with the fact that state clemency does not prevent federal immigration enforcement. The only notable caveat is that “Laotian national” may be interpreted imprecisely, but his Laotian citizenship and removability are supported.

Caveats

  • “Laotian national” is accurate as to citizenship but can misleadingly imply a recent arrival; some reporting notes he came to the U.S. as a child.
  • “Clemency/pardon” terminology varies by outlet; users should distinguish a state pardon’s effect on state records from its limited effect on federal immigration consequences.
  • Some widely shared summaries are partisan or social-media based; the strongest confirmation comes from DHS/ICE statements and major news organizations.

The Receipts

  1. MINNESOTA MADNESS: Governor Tim Walz Pardons Criminal Illegal Alien Convicted of Sexually Assaulting a 10-Year-Old Girl

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security

  2. ICE Deports Immigrant Who Was Pardoned for Sex Abuse

    The New York Times

  3. Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and ...

    MPR News (via Facebook)

  4. Minnesota immigrant pardoned after sexually abusing child deported, Rubio says

    CBS News Minnesota

  5. DHS: ICE deported Minnesota man in Minnesota after pardon for 2006 child sex crime conviction

    YouTube (news clip citing DHS)

  6. Minnesota pardons sexual abuser who was set to be deported

    Star Tribune

  7. Marco Rubio: Pardoned Minnesota child sex offender deported from US, legal status revoked

    KSTP

  8. Minnesota Man Pardoned for Child Sex Crime Deported After Federal Status Revoked

    WABC Radio

  9. Minnesota Pardons Sexual Abuser Who Was Set to Be ...

    ICE (official X account)

  10. Minnesota Board of Pardons Grants Pardon to Man Convicted of ...

    Particle News

+ 15 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

Minnesota Board Of PardonsTou Lue VangUnited States Department Of Homeland Security

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