Staff Reports
The Department of Homeland Security publicly blasted a Minnesota pardon this week, and Secretary Markwayne Mullin did not mince words. The Minnesota Board of Pardons cleared Tou Lue Vang of a 2006 conviction for first‑degree criminal sexual assault involving a child, and DHS says that pardon could wipe out the conviction that made him removable and block deportation. The bitter public feud now pits federal immigration enforcement against Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota’s pardon system.
What the Board did and who is involved
The Minnesota Board of Pardons — made up of Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Chief Justice Natalie Hudson — granted the pardon after the state Clemency Review Commission recommended clemency. Court records show Vang pleaded guilty years ago to repeatedly assaulting a girl who was about 10 when the abuse began. The Clemency Review Commission said the victim offered support for the pardon and many community members wrote in on Vang’s behalf. The Ramsey County prosecutor’s office opposed the pardon, but the three‑member Board went ahead at its June meeting.
DHS reaction: blunt and furious
Secretary Markwayne Mullin took to X to call Governor Walz’s decision “horrific,” repeating DHS’s view that the pardon helps a convicted child sexual abuser avoid removal. DHS public affairs also described the action as “disgusting” and warned the pardon removes the conviction that made the individual deportable. That framing matters: federal immigration teams have been working to enforce removal orders in Minnesota, and DHS says this pardon hampers those efforts and undercuts public‑safety goals.
Why this matters — sanctuary politics vs. public safety
This is not just a grudge match over one case. It is a snapshot of what happens when sanctuary politics meet state clemency. Voters deserve leaders who put victims and public safety first, not bureaucratic neatness that can erase facts from the record. If pardons become a backdoor to stave off deportation for people convicted of violent crimes, federal enforcement loses an important tool. Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison defended the process as exhaustive. That may satisfy the commission. It won’t convince taxpayers who expect tough answers about safety and immigration.
A simple test of leadership
There should be real accountability and clarity here. If the Board had new, compelling evidence or if the victim truly supported clemency after careful review, spell it out plainly for the public. If not, voters should remember which officials sided with a pardon that DHS says could block deportation for a convicted child abuser. Washington will keep enforcing immigration laws. State officials who grant pardons that undercut that work should be prepared to explain themselves — to families, to prosecutors, and to voters. The rest of us will watch to see whether Minnesota’s leaders choose paperwork or protection.
