Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday the deportation of an illegal immigrant who was a convicted sex offender.

“Laotian national Tou Lue Vang was convicted of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl in Minnesota,” Rubio wrote on X alongside a video statement. “He was set to be deported until Governor Tim Walz issued him a pardon.”

“Then, I revoked his legal status,” he added. “ICE has removed him from the U.S. and he will never endanger another American.”

Officials in Minnesota drew condemnation for pardoning the 42-year-old sex offender in a bid to prevent his deportation. Vang had committed the crime more than two decades ago and wrote a letter to the Minnesota Board of Pardons in his application for clemency saying that “The shame and regret carry-especially as my children have grown older and learned about my past-run deep. If it were possible to undo what happened, would do so without hesitation.”

The board said that a victim-support letter influenced its decision to pardon the sex offender.

“What happened to me was wrong, but I have had many years to think about this. I have made my peace with it. I forgive him,” the victim wrote.

The three-person board includes the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz.

Acting Assistant Secretary for DHS Lauren Bis lashed out at the governor for moving to upend Vang’s conviction to prevent his deportation.

“Governor Tim Walz’s decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting.”

Vang was granted legal status when he entered the country in 1994, but that status was revoked after his onviction in 2006.