Governor Walz pardons Lao man facing deportation

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has pardoned a man facing deportation by federal immigration authorities, citing his rehabilitation after a decades-old criminal conviction. The pardon for Jai Vang was granted unanimously by the state’s Clemency Review Commission in a special session convened by the governor.

Vang, who is from Laos, was convicted in Hennepin County in 1994 for aiding and abetting an armed robbery committed when he was 18 years old. He served a prison sentence and was later released. Earlier this year, he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers during Operation Metro Surge, a federal enforcement operation in the Minneapolis area. Officials said Vang was scheduled for deportation to Laos in June.

Upon learning of Vang’s arrest and pending removal, Governor Walz called the special session of the clemency board to review the case. The commission, which included Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and State Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, voted to grant the pardon. Officials stated that Vang had not committed further crimes since his release, had started a family, and owns a local painting business.

During the hearing, Governor Walz...