Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is defending his decision to pardon a Laotian national who was later deported by the Trump administration after serving time for repeatedly sexually abusing a child, arguing that people should not be defined solely by the worst actions of their lives.
The comments came during a media appearance Tuesday, according to KTTC-TV in Rochester, Minnesota, following the deportation of Tou Lue Vang, 42, whose legal status was revoked by the Department of Homeland Security. Vang was convicted in 2006 for sexually abusing a girl over a period of several years.
According to DHS, the abuse began in 2002 when the victim was 10 years old and continued until 2006. After serving his sentence, Vang remained in the United States until the Trump administration moved to terminate his legal status and remove him from the country.
Following the deportation, the White House issued a statement defending the administration’s actions.
“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 July 10 statement said.
The White House also criticized Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, accusing them of attempting to prevent Vang’s deportation through the state’s clemency process.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Walz described Vang’s crimes as “horrific” but maintained that the pardon was not granted because of immigration concerns. Instead, he argued that the state’s clemency process considered broader factors beyond the underlying conviction.
That explanation appears to conflict with documents obtained by Fox News from the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission. According to the report, commissioners discussed Vang’s immigration status and the potential consequences deportation would have for his family.
One commissioner reportedly wrote, “Very tough case, but the kids not having a father is not in the best interest of society,” referring to Vang’s six children.
Another commissioner wrote that “the applicant stated the need for clemency related to immigration issues,” suggesting that his immigration status was a factor presented during the review.
.@GovTimWalz on why ICE shouldn’t have deported this child rapist: “we can’t all be judged by our worst day.”
For Tou Lue Vang this wasn’t just one “worst day” — it was YEARS of repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl starting when she was 10.
Just disgraceful. https://t.co/QCzSnYh4zA pic.twitter.com/hJ2TRlan4k
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 15, 2026
Walz rejected the suggestion that deportation made the public safer.
“Did that make us any safer? Did that make the children that are left behind any more stable?” Walz asked during his remarks.
He continued by arguing that people should not be judged exclusively by their past crimes.
“Did it improve the idea that we can’t all be judged by our worst day? And I want to be very clear,” Walz said. “These are horrific crimes. They often are.”
KTTC reported that Walz also emphasized the pardon was not intended as an immigration policy decision, noting that the clemency board denied requests from other applicants facing immigration-related issues on the same day Vang received his pardon.
Vang immigrated to the United States from Laos in 1994. According to reports from the time of his arrest, he told investigators that his conduct was acceptable in his native culture, a claim that did not affect the criminal case against him.
The Department of Homeland Security sharply criticized the pardon after Vang’s deportation.
“Governor Tim Walz’s decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting,” acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.
“These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting,” she added.
The controversy arrives as Walz prepares to leave office after announcing earlier this year that he will not seek a third term as Minnesota governor. His administration has also faced scrutiny over a major fraud investigation involving federal nutrition assistance funds, a case that drew national attention and has continued to generate political fallout in the state.
