MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ (D) HAS PARDONED JAI VANG, A 49-YEAR-OLD ILLEGAL ALIEN FROM LAOS CONVICTED OF AIDING AND ABETTING ARMED ROBBERY IN OCTOBER 1994 WHEN HE WAS 18 YEARS OLD.
WALZ PARDONED VANG FOLLOWING A UNANIMOUS VOTE BY MINNESOTA’S BOARD OF PARDONS. VANG WAS ARRESTED BY IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE) EARLIER THIS MONTH AS PART OF OPERATION METRO SURGE AND WAS SCHEDULED TO BE DEPORTED NEXT MONTH AFTER ILLEGALLY ENTERING THE UNITED STATES.
VANG, WHO WAS TRIED AND CONVICTED IN HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA, HAS BEEN LIVING IN THE STATE WITHOUT IMMIGRATION STATUS FOR DECADES. HIS PARDON FOLLOWED A UNANIMOUS RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CLEMENCY REVIEW COMMISSION.
THE PARDON WAS SUPPORTED BY MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL KEITH ELLISON (D) AND CHIEF JUDGE NATALIE HUDSON.
IN A STATEMENT, WALZ SAID: “I CAN FIND NO REASON HOW MINNESOTA WILL BE SAFER OR BETTER IF MR. VANG IS DEPORTED TO A COUNTRY HE HAS NOT BEEN TO SINCE HE WAS A CHILD. I DO NOT SEE HOW IT WOULD SERVE HIS FAMILY, NOR THE ECONOMIC INTEREST WHERE WE HAVE A TAXPAYING CITIZEN WHO IS CREATING JOB GROWTH AND LIVING A LIFE FREE FROM ANY CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.”
THE DECISION HAS DRAWN SIGNIFICANT CRITICISM FOR ITS IMPLICATIONS ON PUBLIC SAFETY. EARLIER THIS MONTH, WALZ’S BOARD OF PARDONS ALSO PARDONED XAYASOUNETHONE CHANDEE, ANOTHER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FROM LAOS WITH MULTIPLE ASSAULT CONVICTIONS. THE PARDON OF VANG UNDERSCORES WALZ’S REPEATED WILNESS TO BLOCK DEPORTATION OF VIOLENT CRIMINALS, A MOVE CRITICIZED FOR JEOPARDIZING PUBLIC SAFETY AND UNDERMINING LAW ENFORCEMENT.
