Minnesota Board Pardons Laotian Man As ICE Prepared Deportation
On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, Minnesota's Clemency Review Commission unanimously pardoned Jai Vang, who was facing deportation to Laos after his January arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.[1]
Governor Tim Walz convened a special clemency session after learning of ICE's removal plans so Vang's petition could be heard before his scheduled deportation.[1] Walz said deporting Vang would not make Minnesota safer, and Attorney General Keith Ellison joined the hearing by phone and backed the clemency request.[1]
Vang was convicted in 1994 of aiding and abetting an armed robbery in Hennepin County.[1] He is a Laotian national who entered the United States illegally and was arrested by ICE in January during Operation Metro Surge.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, Minnesota's Clemency Review Commission unanimously pardoned Jai Vang for a 1994 aiding-and-abetting armed robbery conviction in Hennepin County.
- Vang, a Laotian national who entered the U.S. illegally, was arrested by ICE in January 2026 during Operation Metro Surge and faced deportation to Laos in June.
- Governor Tim Walz called a special clemency session after learning of ICE's plans so Vang's petition could be heard before removal, and he publicly argued deportation would not make Minnesota safer.
- Attorney General Keith Ellison joined the hearing by phone, said he had reviewed Vang's file, and supported the clemency request.
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