A Brooklyn Park man who was detained by immigration officers during Operation Metro Surge was pardoned by state officials in an emergency meeting Monday, offering him a chance of reuniting with his family.
At “Ricky” Chandee, 52, is a Lao refugee, a father and a longtime public servant, Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement issued Monday after the pardon. Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellision and Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson from the Minnesota Board of Pardons reviewed Chandee’s case and unanimously voted to reverse his second-degree assault conviction that prompted his immigration detention.
“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,” read Walz’s 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.”
Chandee applied for a pardon in early January; he was detained later that month by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. He has been in federal custody the past few months, and remained in custody as of Monday afternoon. It’s unclear whether he will be released from federal custody.
Chandee, who was born in Laos, received a final order of deportation when he was 18 for his second-degree assault conviction. He immigrated to the United States as a refugee after fleeing the Vietnam War, and could not be deported until now because Laos historically denied U.S. deportees.
Laos shifted its stance early last year, and began accepting deportees from the United States due to pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration. Chandee is one of many Southeast Asian refugees, including several Hmong Minnesotans, who have been deported or face deportation over previous criminal convictions.
Chandee worked in engineering for the city of Minneapolis for nearly three decades. He is married to Tina Huynh-Chandee, and has a son currently serving in the United States Air Force. Chandee has also been “contributing to his community without further incident,” according to Walz’s statement.
His family members, co-workers and other supporters testified last week at his first hearing in front of the Clemency Review Commission. Huynh-Chandee, Chandee’s wife, has written posts on Facebook updating his case.
“We are praying for strength, fairness, and compassion. And we are still fighting every single day to bring him back home where he belongs,” read Huynh-Chandee’s April 26 Facebook post. “Thank you to everyone who has been lifting us up with your love, prayers, and support. We feel it deeply, and we truly need it.”
The commission, which reviews pardon applications and makes recommendations to the Minnesota Board of Pardons, unanimously endorsed Chandee’s request on May 1. With his deportation expected to happen this week, Walz, Hudson and Ellison met in an emergency meeting Monday morning to review Chandee’s case and unanimously approved his pardon.
Linus Chan, Chandee’s attorney, said the pardon is an “important step” in the right direction, but it does not result in Chandee’s automatic release of custody, or remove his final order of deportation. The next step is to see whether a federal judge will grant him a temporary or permanent stay that would prevent federal officials from putting Chandee on a deportation flight.
Katelyn Vue is a Report for America corps member.
