Minnesota Governor Pardons Man Convicted of 1994 Armed Robbery

Minnesota's governor on Wednesday pardoned a man from Laos previously convicted of armed robbery before Immigration and Customs Enforcement could complete his deportation. The man was convicted in Hennepin County in 1994 at age 18 for aiding and abetting and armed robbery, according to FOX 9. He served his prison term and was released.

Enforcement arrested him in January during Operation Metro Surge in the Minneapolis area, a Department of Homeland Security release stated at the time. He requested clemency to avoid deportation scheduled for June. The governor called a special session of the state's Board of Pardons' Clemency Review Commission to review the petition before deportation could occur.

The commission, joined by the state attorney general and state supreme court chief justice, voted unanimously to pardon him.

The commission noted that the man had not committed further crimes since his release, had started a family, and owns a local painting business. During the hearing the governor referred to him as a citizen and said he has become a critical member of the community.

"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," the governor said. The attorney general reviewed the file and agreed with the board's decision to grant clemency.