A Laotian national convicted of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in Minnesota has been removed from the United States after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked his legal status and facilitated his deportation.
Tou Lue Vang, who was convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, repeatedly assaulted the minor victim between 2002 and 2004. During police interviews, Vang attempted to justify his actions by citing cultural norms and suggested the victim was partly at fault. He also offered her $10 to remain silent. Vang pleaded guilty in a plea deal that spared him prison time. His legal status was revoked after conviction, and a federal immigration judge issued a final order of removal in 2006.
Vang was scheduled for deportation last month when Minnesota’s Board of Pardons—comprising Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Chief Justice Natalie Hudson—granted him a pardon, effectively clearing his criminal record. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) condemned the decision as “disgusting,” accusing Democrats of shielding Vang from deportation by erasing his status for a deportable offense.
Despite the pardon, federal authorities terminated Vang’s legal residency and deported him. Secretary Rubio confirmed on Friday that Vang was removed from the country, ensuring he would no longer pose a threat to American children. In a video statement posted online, Rubio reiterated Vang’s conviction and stated: “This week I revoked his legal status in the United States… As a result, federal agents took him into custody and as of today, he has been removed from the United States.”
Rubio added: “Americans must never be forced by their elected leaders to live alongside foreign sex criminals. This administration will always stand with the American people and defend them from violent criminals.”
