ICE removal halted? Minnesota Governor Walz’s last-minute pardon of a Lao immigrant raises eyebrows

Minnesota’s Democratic governor on Wednesday pardoned an illegal alien previously convicted of armed robbery before he could be deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Jai Vang, an illegal alien from Laos, was convicted of aiding and abetting and armed robbery in Hennepin County in 1994. The incident occurred when he was 18 years old. He served his prison term, and was released back into the United States. 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.