State Department fires back after Walz doubles down on pardon of convicted child rapist

After Democrat Tim Walz doubled down on his move to pardon a foreign child rapist prior to his deportation, the State Department took another swing at the Minnesota governor in an escalating back-and-forth.

The Minnesota Board of Pardons, comprised of Walz, state Attorney General Keith Ellison and state Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, granted clemency to Laotian national Tou Lue Vang, 42, on June 10. Vang was scheduled to be deported from the United States before the pardon.

"Governor Walz’s pardon of a convicted foreign sex offender was a grave and unconscionable betrayal of the very people he is supposed to defend," State Department Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson told Fox News Digital.

WALZ, MINNESOTA BOARD OF PARDONS CLEARS CONVICTED ILLEGAL ALIEN CHILD SEX OFFENDER FACING DEPORTATION

"Walz’s plot to sacrifice the safety of Americans on the altar of open borders was thwarted by Secretary Rubio. Now this foreign criminal will never harm another American," he continued.

Vang was convicted for repeatedly raping a 10-year-old girl between 2002 and 2004, and told authorities after he was arrested that "it is a cultural thing... to marry and have sex with girls as young as 12."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked Vang's visa earlier this month, and he was deported back to Laos.

Walz defended the clemency move in a Tuesday press conference, contending that deportation of a convicted child rapist did not make the U.S. safer.

"Did that make us any safer?" Walz questioned. "Did that make the children that are left behind any more stable? Did it improve the idea that we can’t all be judged by our worst day?"

TIM WALZ OFFERS STRANGE DEFENSE FOR PARDONING CONVICTED CHILD RAPIST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORTED

Still, Walz admitted that Vang's crimes were "horrific."

The State Department raked Walz over the coals for downplaying Vang's crimes.

"Walz sides with foreign criminals. Secretary Rubio sides with the American people," Johnson told Fox News Digital of the governor's remarks. "Walz wants open borders. This administration ended the era of mass migration. Walz endangered the American people. Secretary Rubio protected them."

EXPOSED DOCS REVEAL WHY TIM WALZ BOARD AWARDED REPEAT CHILD RAPIST PARDON: ‘NO FUTURE’

Upon last week's announcement that the State Department had skirted Walz's pardon and deported Vang anyway, Rubio scolded Walz for granting Vang clemency in the first place.

"Americans should never have to live in fear that foreign sex predators — shielded from deportation by their own elected officials — could endanger them or their children," he told Fox News Digital

"That's why I terminated his legal status in the United States," he continued. "Vang has now been removed from our country and will never pose a threat to any American ever again."

At the time of Vang's pardon, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) feared that the move would shield the criminal illegal alien from deportation.

"Governor Tim Walz's decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting," DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said at the time.

"These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting."