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With deportation proceedings moving forward, Vang sought clemency from state officials. Rather than waiting for the normal review process, Walz called a special meeting of Minnesota’s Clemency Review Commission to consider the request before federal authorities could complete the removal.
The commission, which includes Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, unanimously approved the pardon.
Supporters argued that Vang’s life after prison demonstrated rehabilitation. They pointed to his decades without additional criminal convictions, his family ties, and his role as a business owner in the community.
Walz strongly supported the request and appeared determined to stop the deportation from moving forward.
During the proceedings, the governor mistakenly described Vang as a citizen before defending his continued presence in Minnesota.
He said Vang has become a “critical member of the community” since his release from prison.
“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,” Walz said.
“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,” Walz said.
Ellison also backed the pardon after reviewing the case.
The clemency decision arrives amid escalating tensions between Walz and federal immigration officials. During Operation Metro Surge, the governor sparked outrage when he compared ICE officers carrying out enforcement duties to President Donald Trump’s “modern-day Gestapo.”
The remark immediately triggered criticism from federal officials, who accused Walz of demonizing law enforcement personnel responsible for enforcing immigration laws passed by Congress.
Then-Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons publicly condemned the comparison and warned that such rhetoric could endanger officers in the field.
“If the governor doesn’t like the laws, he’s free to advocate that Congress change them, but he should refrain from putting ICE officers in danger by likening them to one of the most appalling groups in history,” Lyons said.
Walz has also faced scrutiny over his handling of fraud investigations in Minnesota.
Last month, federal agents conducted raids targeting multiple businesses connected to an alleged fraud network, many of which were reportedly owned by members of the state’s Somali community. After the operation, Walz attempted to portray the enforcement action as evidence that his administration was aggressively pursuing corruption.
In a series of social media posts, the governor argued that state agencies had identified suspicious activity and worked alongside federal authorities to bring fraudsters to justice.
“Today’s raids by state and federal law enforcement happened because our state agencies caught irregular behavior and reported it,” he claimed on X.
“That’s how the system is supposed to work, and our agencies will keep at it as long as there are fraudsters around to put behind bars,” he added.
Those comments quickly drew a sharp response from FBI Director Kash Patel, who rejected Walz’s characterization of the operation.
“Come again? This FBI and DOJ with our DHS partners drafted and executed every search warrant today.”
“But go ahead and take credit for our work while we smoke out the fraud plaguing Minnesota under your governorship,” Patel added.
Now, with the pardon of a convicted participant in an armed robbery and another high-profile clash involving federal immigration enforcement, Walz is once again facing questions about where his priorities lie as national attention increasingly turns toward Minnesota’s handling of crime, fraud, and illegal immigration.
