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On Wednesday, the Democratic governor of Minnesota took the notable step of granting a pardon to an undocumented immigrant, Jai Vang, who was facing deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This decision came just in time to halt the deportation process.
Jai Vang, originally from Laos, found himself on the wrong side of the law in 1994, when he was just 18 years old. Convicted of aiding and abetting an armed robbery in Hennepin County, his actions led to a significant prison sentence. Upon completing his term, he was released back into the U.S., having served his time.
In January, Vang was apprehended during Operation Metro Surge, a targeted ICE operation in the Minneapolis area. This arrest put him at the forefront of deportation efforts, as outlined in a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report from earlier this year.
The clemency hearing, presided over by Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz and Chief Supreme Court Justice Natalie Hudson, took place on May 27, 2026. The governor’s decision to pardon Vang reflects a broader dialogue on immigration and justice, emphasizing rehabilitation and second chances.
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.
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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.
Jai Vang was arrested by federal immigration authorities in Minnesota in January 2026. (Department of Homeland Security)
The commission reasoned that Vang hadn’t committed further crimes since he was released from prison, had started a family and owns a local painting business.
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During the hearing, Walz inaccurately referred to Vang as a “citizen.”
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. 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.
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Ellison, who joined by phone, noted that he reviewed Vang’s file and agreed with board members’ comments supporting Vang’s petition for clemency.
Federal immigration agents toss tear gas during a house raid in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 13, 2026, amid a crackdown on undocumented immigrants under Operation Metro Surge. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Walz bitterly fought the federal government during Operation Metro Surge, echoing far-left rhetoric that compared ICE agents to Nazis. He referred to agents as President Donald Trump’s “modern-day Gestapo,” which drew a sharp rebuke from then-Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.
Lyons implored Walz to tone down the rhetoric, saying, “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.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office.