Tim Walz pardons illegal alien convicted of armed robbery before ICE deportation to Laos
Walz inaccurately called Jai Vang a 'citizen' and said he could find no reason Minnesota would be safer with his removal
By Peter D'Abrosca Fox News
Published May 28, 2026 12:59pm EDT
Minnesota's Democratic governor on Wednesday pardoned an illegal alien previously convicted of armed robbery before he could be deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Jai Vang, an illegal alien from Laos, was convicted of aiding and abetting and armed robbery in Hennepin County in 1994, according to FOX 9. The incident occurred when he was 18 years old.
He served his prison term, and was released back into the United States.
He was arrested by ICE as part of Operation Metro Surge in the Minneapolis area in January, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) release from the time.
When Gov. Tim Walz learned of Vang's arrest by the federal government, and that Vang had requested clemency to avoid being deported in June, the governor called a special session of the state's Board of Pardons' Clemency Review Commission to ensure the case was reviewed before Vang's deportation could be completed.
The Clemency Review Commission, which was joined by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and state supreme court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, voted unanimously to pardon Vang.
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/tim-walz-pardons-illegal-alien-convicted-armed-robbery-ice-deportation-laos
