Emmer, Minnesota Republican Delegation Applaud President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and Secretary Mullin for Deporting a Convicted Child Rapist Following Walz’s Pardon

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06), Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), and Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) joined Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) in sending a letter to President Donald J. Trump, Secretary Rubio, and Secretary Mullin, thanking them for their decisive leadership and commitment to making America a safer place by deporting a convicted child rapist, previously pardoned by the Walz administration.

In June, Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison pardoned Tou Lue Vang, an illegal alien who was convicted of repeatedly sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl in Minnesota in 2006. Thanks to the Trump administration, he has finally been deported, despite Governor Walz's efforts to pardon him and avoid his deportation.

"Not only did Tim Walz pardon an illegal alien convicted of repeatedly raping a 10-year-old-girl, but he continues to defend the decision. This monster had no business being back on our streets," said Congressman Tom Emmer. "Thank God for President Trump and his administration's swift and decisive action to deport this child rapist and correct Walz's misguided and dangerous choice to free a child predator."

Background

Tou Lue Vang, an illegal alien from Laos, was first convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl between 2002 and 2004, starting when she was ten years old. Vang once offered $10 for the girl's silence and, when interviewed by police, he attempted to explain his crimes as "a cultural thing" and stated that the victim was just as guilty as he was. In 2006, a Department of Justice Immigration Judge issued a final order of removal for Vang, yet he stayed in the United States.

In December 2025, Vang was arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and in February 2026, a District Judge in Minnesota ordered his release by ICE. On June 10, 2026, in order to keep him in the country, the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission, composed of Governor Walz, Attorney General Ellison, and Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, voted to pardon Vang. Following the pardon, Secretary Rubio revoked Vang's legal status, and he was deported by ICE on July 10, 2026.

After outraged reactions from Minnesotans about the pardon of a rapist, Governor Walz doubled down on his decision. When asked about the Trump administration's deportation of Vang, he stated, "Does that make us any safer? Did that make the children that are left behind any more stable? Did it improve the idea that we cannot all be judged on our worst days?"

You can read the letter that was sent in its entirety here.

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