The State Department has sharply criticized Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for his administration's decision to pardon Tou Lue Vang, a foreign national convicted of child rape who was facing deportation.
State Department Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson stated that Walz's pardon of Vang, who was convicted of repeatedly raping a 10-year-old girl between 2002 and 2004, was a "grave and unconscionable betrayal of the very people he is supposed to defend." Johnson accused the governor of prioritizing "open borders" over the safety of Americans and asserted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who later revoked Vang's visa and facilitated his deportation, "sides with the American people."
Governor Walz, however, defended the pardon, questioning whether Vang's deportation would actually make the United States safer. He suggested that individuals should not be judged solely by their worst actions and that deportation of such individuals does not necessarily enhance public safety.
The Minnesota Board of Pardons, which includes Governor Walz, State Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, granted clemency to Vang on June 10. At the time of the pardon, Vang was scheduled for deportation from the U.S.
Following the board's decision, Secretary Rubio intervened by revoking Vang's visa, leading to his deportation to Laos. Rubio stated that Vang would "never pose a threat to any American ever again."
Department of Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis had previously expressed dismay over the pardon, calling it "disgusting" and arguing that such actions protect "criminal illegal aliens."
Walz acknowledged the horrific nature of Vang's crimes but maintained his stance on the broader implications of clemency and deportation policies.