Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) excoriated the Minnesota officials that pardoned Tue Lue Vang, a convicted child rapist and illegal alien, calling them "truly demented."
The Context
Vang, originally from Laos, was admitted into the United States in 1994, granted legal status, and began raping a 10-year-old St. Paul, Minnesota girl in 2002 and continued into 2004, when he was caught and initially sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was ultimately able to plead down to eight months at the county correctional workhouse and was discharged from probation in 2019.
The Minnesota Clemency Review Commission voted 4-2 to recommend Vang receive a pardon, with each of the four listing concerns about Vang being deported, and the Minnesota Board of Pardons, composed of Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, granted Vang a full pardon in June before he was set to be deported by the Trump Administration.
The Trump Administration removed Vang anyway.
Crane's Reaction
"This is how the same people who supported an open border deal with illegal criminals," Rep. Crane posted on X, adding, "In this case, they granted the child rapist a pardon, so he wouldn't get deported to his home country."
"These people are truly demented," Rep. Crane concluded.
Previous Responses
This is not the first time the Arizona congressman has attacked elected officials who seemed to put illegal aliens, even with heinous criminal records, above their own citizens.
The most prominent case was in February during President Donald Trump's State of the Union Address, where Trump said, "If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens."
All Republicans watching stood and applauded, while no Democrats stood up.
Crane posted at the time, "Last night, President Trump invited members of BOTH parties to stand up for the simple statement that the first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens. Democrats refused to stand. Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself."
