Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has questioned the effectiveness and impact on public safety of deporting Tou Lue Vang, a migrant convicted of a sex offense who had been pardoned by the governor last month. The remarks came after the Department of Homeland Security announced Vang's deportation to Laos.
Vang, a 42-year-old from Laos, was pardoned by Walz in June. On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed his deportation, stating that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had revoked Vang's legal status. A statement from the White House asserted that under the Trump administration, "criminal illegal aliens who rape children will be found, arrested, and removed—and Democrat politicians will not stand in the way."
In response, Walz asked, "Did that make us any safer? Did that make the children that are left behind any more stable?" He added, "Did it improve the idea that we can’t all be judged by our worst day? And I want to be very clear, these are horrific crimes. They often are."