Pardon granted to Minnesota man facing imminent deportation for decades-old conviction

MN man facing deportation over 1993 conviction pardoned

Gov. Tim Walz held an emergency Board of Pardons meeting at the State Capitol to grant clemency to a Minnesota man facing deportation over a decades-old conviction. 

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Gov. Tim Walz announced the Minnesota Board of Pardons unanimously granted a pardon to a Minnesota man during an emergency meeting on Monday, shortly before he was scheduled for deportation.

Minnesota man facing deportation for 1993 crime granted pardon

What we know:

At "Ricky" Chandee, a refugee from Laos who has lived in the United States for decades, faced deportation this week due to a 1993 assault conviction when he was 18 years old. He has worked for nearly three decades in engineering at the City of Minneapolis and is the father of a son currently serving in the United States Air Force, according to a press release.

Chandee applied for a pardon in early January and was detained by ICE shortly afterward as part of Operation Metro Surge, according to the governor’s office. The federal government scheduled his deportation before the board's next regularly scheduled meeting.

Last week, the Clemency Review Commission unanimously recommended a pardon for Chandee after hearing testimony from family members, coworkers, and community members. But just as he had that hearing, the government moved him from a Texas facility to Louisiana, and his deportation was scheduled for Tuesday.

What they're saying:

"The federal government says they're targeting the 'worst of the worst,' but instead they're tearing a father and public servant away from his family over a mistake from more than 30 years ago," Walz said in a statement. "This is not about public safety; it's a campaign of retribution that uses heavy-handed tactics to target people who have already paid their debt and built their lives here in Minnesota."

Governor Walz convened the emergency meeting Monday to ensure Chandee's pardon could be considered before the deportation could occur. With the pardon now granted, the federal government's legal basis for his deportation may be removed, allowing him to return to his family and community, according to the release.

What we don't know:

It's unclear when Chandee might be released from ICE custody and returned to Minnesota.