Feds Falsely Claim Minnesota Man Pardoned Before Deportation Has Hidden Criminal Past

Federal authorities are once again twisting facts to justify harsh immigration enforcement, this time targeting At Chandee, a 52-year-old Minnesota man and refugee from Laos who was pardoned by the state just one day before his scheduled deportation. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims Chandee has additional felony convictions from 2008, but these allegations fall apart under scrutiny.

Chandee’s legal troubles stem from a 1992 assault conviction. After serving his sentence, he remained in the U.S. because Laos was not accepting deportees. For 27 years, Chandee has worked as an engineer technician for the City of Minneapolis and has stayed out of trouble, with no convictions since that initial case.

In January, ICE arrested Chandee during Operation Metro Surge based on the old conviction. But the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission found no evidence of any new felonies. After a thorough state and federal background check, the commission unanimously recommended a pardon, which the State Board of Pardons granted in an emergency session on May 4, one day before his deportation.

Governor Tim Walz, who sits on the pardon board, condemned the federal government’s actions: “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.”

Despite the pardon, DHS put Chandee’s deportation on hold for two weeks and then claimed he had two additional felony assault convictions from 2008. Chandee’s lawyer, Linus Chan, and independent checks by WCCO found no such records in Minnesota’s court system or federal databases. The Clemency Review Commission also confirmed no felonies beyond the 1992 conviction, only a minor parking violation in 2006.

The federal government has yet to provide any evidence or clarify where these phantom 2008 convictions supposedly occurred. This latest episode is a textbook example of the Trump administration’s pattern of abusing power to punish immigrants based on outdated or fabricated charges, prioritizing deportations over justice and family unity.

At Chandee’s case highlights the urgent need for transparency and accountability in immigration enforcement. When the government resorts to baseless claims to justify tearing families apart, it betrays the rule of law and democratic values. We will keep tracking this story as it develops and hold those responsible to account.