Pardon Unavailing: DHS Deports Minnesota Sex-Abuse Convict Despite Clemency

The Department of Homeland Security deported Tou Lue Vang to Laos after he was unanimously pardoned by Minnesota’s Board of Pardons for a 2006 first-degree criminal sexual conduct conviction involving a 10-year-old. Vang, a lawful permanent resident who came to the U.S. as a child, was arrested by ICE in December 2025 and released during his immigration case, but was removed anyway. Minnesota officials say a state pardon does not shield him from deportation, while DHS argues pardons do not eliminate immigration consequences, highlighting ongoing tension between clemency and federal immigration law.