Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison pardoned a convicted child sex offender weeks before he was set to be deported — and the Department of Homeland Security just released photos of him being put on a plane anyway.

Story Snapshot

• Tou Lue Vang, a 42-year-old Laotian national, pleaded guilty in 2005 to sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl
• Minnesota’s Board of Pardons — including Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison — unanimously pardoned him on June 10, 2026
• The Department of Homeland Security condemned the pardon, calling it an attempt to block a lawful deportation
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Vang was deported despite the pardon, with DHS releasing photos of the removal

A Pardon That Set Off a National Firestorm

In 2005, Tou Lue Vang pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct against a 10-year-old girl in Minnesota. He is a citizen of Laos and was in the country illegally. Federal immigration authorities had scheduled his deportation. Then, on June 10, 2026, the Minnesota Board of Pardons voted unanimously to wipe his record clean. The three-member board includes Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and the Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice.

Walz and Ellison defended the decision. They said the pardon followed a long review process. They pointed to a support letter from the victim herself, a formal recommendation from the Clemency Review Commission, and a large number of letters from community members. That defense did not satisfy critics — and it did not stop the federal government from acting.

DHS Calls the Pardon a Political Shield for a Child Predator

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a sharp public statement slamming the pardon. DHS said the move could “thwart” a lawful deportation of a man convicted of abusing a child. The agency did not mince words. It called the pardon a deliberate attempt by Democratic officials to block federal immigration enforcement. The statement named Governor Walz directly.

House Republican Floor Leader Harry Niska of Ramsey called the pardon a disgrace. He said Walz and Ellison had put politics ahead of child safety. The Republican Party of Minnesota echoed that view, praising the Trump administration for following through with the deportation regardless of the state’s action. The political backlash was swift and loud — and it came from both inside and outside Minnesota.

Rubio Announces the Deportation — With Photos

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Vang had been deported. The Department of Homeland Security went further and released photos of Vang being removed from the country. The images were a direct message: a state pardon does not override federal immigration law. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed the removal on its official social media account, noting the Board of Pardons had voted to grant the pardon but that federal authorities moved forward anyway.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the deportation of Tou Lue Vang, weeks after Gov. Tim Walz and Keith Ellison voted to pardon him. https://t.co/hpNYpbxzoH

— Justwondering (@frespch4all) July 10, 2026

This is a critical point that gets lost in the political noise. A state pardon can erase a criminal conviction under state law. But federal immigration authorities can still deport someone based on the underlying conduct, not just the conviction. The pardon did not make Vang a legal resident. It did not erase his immigration status. Federal law operates on a separate track, and in this case, that track led straight to a deportation flight.

Why This Case Cuts Deeper Than One Man’s Pardon

Minnesota is not the first state to clash with federal immigration officials over clemency for serious offenders. Similar fights have played out in California, New York, and Illinois. But this case is harder to defend than most. The victim’s support letter is real and meaningful — victims deserve to be heard. At the same time, a 10-year-old child cannot fully grasp the long-term public safety implications of pardoning her abuser. The board had every right to weigh her letter. It should not have been the deciding factor.

Walz and Ellison knew deportation proceedings were underway when they cast their votes. The timing — weeks before a scheduled removal — makes it nearly impossible to see the pardon as anything other than an attempt to interfere with federal enforcement. The DHS photos of Vang boarding a deportation flight are a fitting answer. States can grant pardons. The federal government can still enforce immigration law. In this case, it did exactly that.

Sources:

townhall.com, fox9.com, nytimes.com, youtube.com, x.com, cbsnews.com