Board of Pardons

Gov. Tim Walz defends his vote to pardon Tou Lue Vang, a man convicted of molesting a 10-year-old child, despite Vang's subsequent deportation. The pardon was approved by Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, with Walz citing victim advocacy as a key factor. Homeland Security criticized the pardon as an attempt to block deportation, but Walz argued it did not release Vang from his supervised probation sentence, completed in 2019.

Federal officials deported Tou Lue Vang, a pardoned child sex offender from Minnesota, after revoking his legal status. Marco Rubio announced the action, citing the removal of a threat to Americans.