A child rapist who had previously received a pardon from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was deported by immigration officials on Friday. This action followed Secretary of State Marco Rubio retracting his legal status.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials deported Thu Lu Van, a Laotian national, who had been convicted of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl. Walz’s pardon came just days prior to his deportation, as noted by Section 2. Rubio also made an announcement regarding this situation on X.
Van’s legal troubles began in 2006 when he was stripped of his legal status after multiple convictions for the sexual assault of a child. He allegedly tried to justify his actions by saying it was a “cultural thing,” mentioning marrying a 12-year-old girl. This reasoning was met with stern disapproval by law enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security reported that Van attempted to argue that the child was equally at fault and should face arrest. Rubio stated that Van was taken into custody and expelled from the country after his legal status was revoked.
“Thanks to our efforts, this criminal alien won’t be a threat to Americans anymore. Our citizens shouldn’t have to live alongside a foreign sex offender who shouldn’t have been here in the first place,” Rubio said, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to protecting the public from violent offenders.
On June 10, the Minnesota Board of Pardons, which includes Governor Walz, approved Van’s pardon, thus lifting the deportation requirement. Notably, Walz and other officials acknowledged that the risk of deportation could influence their decisions in future pardons, as reported by The New York Times.
Furthermore, Minnesota’s status as a sanctuary state limits local and state authorities’ cooperation with federal immigration officials. Walz has not commented on the matter ahead of publication.
