Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) convened a special session to pardon an illegal alien convicted of armed robbery and thwart his deportation.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) has pardoned Jai Vang, an illegal alien from Laos convicted of aiding and abetting armed robbery in 1994. 📺 DETAIL: On Wednesday, 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. He was scheduled to be deported next month, having illegally entered the United States. Vang requested a pardon, which was unanimously recommended by the Clemency Review Commission. He was arrested, tried, and convicted of aiding and abetting armed robbery in October 1994 during an incident in Hennepin County, Minnesota, when he was 18 years old. The 49-year-old Vang’s pardon was supported by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) and Chief Justice Natalie Hudson. 💬 KEY QUOTE:“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.” – Tim Walz. 🎯 IMPACT: The pardon has drawn significant criticism over its implications for public safety. Earlier this month, the Minnesota Board of Pardons unanimously voted to pardon Xayasounethone Chandee, another illegal immigrant from Laos with multiple assault convictions. Chandee was convicted of assault in 1992, followed by two felony counts of aggravated assault with a weapon in 2008, resulting in the loss of his immigration status. Chandee was facing imminent deportation until Governor Walz intervened. The decision to pardon Vang underscores Walz’s repeated willingness to block the deportation of violent criminals, consistently jeopardizing public safety and undermining law enforcement. |
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