Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz defended his decision after the Trump administration deported an illegal migrant whose criminal conviction had been pardoned by the Minnesota Board of Pardons last month, prompting renewed debate over immigration enforcement and executive clemency, as reported by The New York Post.

Walz commented Tuesday after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the legal status of Tou Lue Vang, a 42-year-old native of Laos, had been revoked before he was removed from the United States.

“Did that make us any safer? Did that make the children that are left behind any more stable?” Walz asked, according to KTTC.

He continued, “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.”

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The Department of Homeland Security announced Friday that Vang had been deported after his legal status was terminated.

In a statement, the White House confirmed Rubio's action and defended the administration's immigration enforcement efforts.

“Under President Trump, criminal illegal aliens who rape children will be found, arrested, and removed—and Democrat politicians will not stand in the way,” the statement read.

Minnesota Democrats Pardoned a Convicted Child Rapist. President Trump Deported Him.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE A convicted child sex offender is no longer in our country thanks to President Donald J. Trump and his Administration defeating a sick attempt by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz… — White House Press Pool Reports (@WHPressPool) July 10, 2026

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According to DHS, Vang entered the United States in 1994 and was granted legal status during the Clinton administration.

In 2006, he was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a 10-year-old girl after repeated assaults that prosecutors said occurred between 2002 and 2004.

DHS said Vang later claimed during a police interview that his actions were “a cultural thing” and argued that the child victim shared responsibility for what occurred.

Following his conviction, a Department of Justice immigration judge issued a final order of removal in October 2006.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Vang on Dec. 10, 2025. A judge in the District of Minnesota later ordered his release from ICE custody in February 2026.

On June 10, the Minnesota Board of Pardons granted Vang a pardon. The board consists of Walz, Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie E. Hudson, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

During the pardon hearing, Vang accepted responsibility for his crime.

“What I did was wrong. It was a serious crime. She was a child,” Vang told the board.

He also appealed to the board on behalf of his family.

“If I am sent away, we lose everything. My children will lose their home, and they will lose their education. They will grow up without a father."

According to KTTC, the victim submitted a letter stating that she had forgiven Vang for his actions.

During the hearing, Walz stated, “Just remember, both were minors,” according to the Daily Mail.

After Vang's removal from the United States, DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis criticized the decision to pardon him.

“ICE deported Tou Vang, an illegal alien convicted child rapist. This monster repeatedly sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl,” Bis said.

She added, “Tim Walz pardoned this sex criminal in an attempt to allow him to remain in our country.”

“These are the criminal illegal aliens he and sanctuary politicians are protecting. We will always put the safety of the American people first."

The deportation has drawn national attention as the Trump administration continues to emphasize the removal of criminal illegal immigrants, while Walz's comments and the Minnesota pardon have generated renewed scrutiny over the state's clemency process.

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