Minnesota immigrant pardoned after sexually abusing child is deported, Secretary of State Rubio says
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a Minnesota immigrant who received a pardon after sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl has been removed from the country.
In 2005, Laotian national Tou Lue Vang pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl, in a plea deal that kept him from going to prison. Last month, the Minnesota Board of Pardons granted a pardon to Vang after he submitted a letter expressing regret for what he did. Other family members and the victim wrote letters on his behalf.
Rubio announced on Friday that he revoked Vang's legal status, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested and deported him.
"Because of our action, this foreign criminal will never pose a threat to any American ever again," Rubio said.
The decision to pardon Vang provoked a strong reaction from the Department of Homeland Security, which called the decision "disgusting." Some Republican lawmakers, including U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, also said they are angered by the ruling. He posted on X, "I'm angry and disgusted at yet another action by our feckless governor that puts violent illegal aliens ahead of innocent Americans."
When law enforcement initially interviewed Vang, he called the sex abuse a "minor thing" and blamed it on cultural norms in Thailand.
But in his letter asking for a pardon, Vang said he takes full responsibility for his mistakes and is no longer the person he once was.
A spokesperson for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office released a statement earlier this month saying, "The Minnesota Board of Pardons made the unanimous decision to grant Tou Vang this pardon after an exhaustive process which included a statement of support from the victim, a recommendation to grant the pardon from the Clemency Review Commission, and a large number of community support letters."
Ellison's office added that it has denied pardons to three other men convicted of sex crimes, who are facing deportation.
The Department of Homeland Security says Vang first came to the U.S. in 1994 and was granted legal status by the Clinton administration, but his status was revoked upon his conviction and a final order of removal was issued in 2006.
Note: The video above originally aired July 2, 2026.
If you know of a child who may have been a victim of exploitation, call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the website.
Sexual Assault Resources
- (SOS – Ramsey County)
- Sexual Violence Center (SVC – Hennepin County)
- Aurora Center (U of MN)
- 360 Communities (Dakota County)
- Hope Center (Rice County)
- Canvas Health (Washington County)
- Alexandra House (Anoka County)
General Sites for information related to sexual assault and resources throughout Minnesota:
General Sexual Assault Websites:
