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Clemency review meeting could prevent man's deportation
The Minnesota Clemency Review Commission will decide the future of a man facing deportation to Laos. FOX 9's Bill Keller has the latest details on the pardon hearing.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man facing kidney failure and deportation back to Laos will learn his fate as the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission considers his case, while his doctor says disrupting his medication could result in death.
READ MORE: Minnesota man facing deportation to Laos: Doctor warns it could be a death sentence
Deportation threatens man's health, doctor says
Local perspective:
La Thammavong has been in the United States for decades after leaving Laos as a child refugee.
A pair of assault convictions in 1994 sent him to prison for three years. He was also convicted on drug charges back in 2000 and theft the following year. That criminal history put him on track for deportation today.
The 52-year-old is also facing kidney failure, which requires him to take more than a dozen pills every day.
His doctor at Mayo Clinic wrote a letter saying that without his medication, his kidney transplant would fail, likely resulting in his death.
What they're saying:
La admits to making mistakes when he was younger, but now regrets those choices, especially since it may cost him his life.
"I am on blood thinner, heart failure medication, high blood pressure pill, kidney medication," La said. "It can be a death sentence to me. I don’t have no medication. Over there, it’s kind of hard to find medication."
What's next:
The clemency review commission will consider his request for a pardon when it meets later today.
ICE confrontation in Rochester
Dig deeper:
Thammavong's immigration issues resurfaced when his wife was stopped for following and recording ICE agents in Rochester.
While he already had a standing order for deportation, his case was flagged when they ran her plates, and his name came up, because he owns the car.
An ICE agent was recorded saying, "He wasn't even on our radar. He had the final order as a threat level 1, so you just aided in your husband's deportation. I hope you feel real good."
The backstory:
The White House has kept a hardline stance on its immigration agenda, even deporting a man after he was pardoned by Governor Walz.
The Source: This story uses information gathered by FOX 9 reporter Bill Keller.