Minnesota immigrant pardoned after sexually abusing child is deported, Secretary of State Rubio says
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- Minnesota immigrant Tou Lue Vang, who pled guilty in 2005 to sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl, received a pardon last month from the Minnesota Board of Pardons after expressing regret and receiving victim and community support.
- Following the pardon, Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked Vang's legal status, leading to his arrest and deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
- The pardon decision sparked strong condemnation from the Department of Homeland Security and some Republican lawmakers, who criticized it for prioritizing the offender over victims and public safety.
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office defended the pardon process, highlighting the victim's support and noting that pardons have been denied to other sex offenders facing deportation.
- Vang initially minimized his crime during law enforcement interviews but later took full responsibility in his pardon request, and he had been ordered removed from the U.S. since 2006 after his conviction.
