Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has spent much of the past year positioning himself as one of the Democratic Party’s most outspoken critics of federal immigration enforcement. He has repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration over immigration policy, criticized ICE operations, and aligned himself with broader efforts to limit cooperation between state and federal authorities on deportation matters.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday pardoned a man taken into ICE custody during Operation Metro Surge before he could potentially be deported to Laos, his native country. https://t.co/mWV904UYnj
— FOX 9 (@FOX9) May 27, 2026
Now, a decision by Walz and Minnesota’s Board of Pardons is drawing fresh attention after they granted a pardon to a convicted criminal whose immigration status placed him at risk of deportation.
The case involves Jai Vang, who was convicted for aiding and abetting an armed robbery connected to an October 1994 incident in Hennepin County. Vang was 18 years old at the time of the offense. Decades later, his criminal record became a factor in immigration proceedings that threatened his ability to remain in the United States.
When we deport him anyway, that’s when i’ll kniw we’re ready to start winning.
— Jeremy Carl (@realJeremyCarl) May 28, 2026
According to Walz, his office learned on May 14 that Vang had been taken into ICE custody and was facing deportation to Laos before the next scheduled meeting of the Minnesota Board of Pardons.
In response, Walz convened a special meeting of the board on Wednesday. Joining him were Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson and Attorney General Keith Ellison. The three officials voted to grant Vang a pardon after his application had received a unanimous recommendation from the state’s Clemency Review Commission.
And he made the American citizen who was falsely convicted by @amyklobuchar sit and wait for due process.
— Donald Frederiksen (@AwesomeScary) May 28, 2026
The timing of the action immediately sparked criticism from those who argue the pardon was designed primarily to shield Vang from deportation rather than address the underlying conviction itself.
Pardoning an illegal immigrant armed robber who victimizes Minnesotans to own Trump.
An absolute clown. https://t.co/kNcMd9NbWZ
— Elliott Engen (@elliottengenMN) May 28, 2026
Supporters of the decision point out that the conviction occurred more than three decades ago and that clemency processes exist to evaluate whether individuals have demonstrated rehabilitation and earned a second chance. Critics counter that immigration consequences are part of the legal framework and that elected officials should not intervene simply because they disagree with federal enforcement priorities.
