On Monday, Andrew Cuomo, the Governor of New York, pardoned seven undocumented immigrants who faced deportation from the US because of minor criminal offenses committed years ago. Cuomo said New York believes diversity is its greatest strength and that it intends to continue to protect its immigrant communities, regardless of the often–controversial policies currently pursued by the Trump administration.
The convictions include low–level assault, possessing stolen property, selling controlled substances, petty larceny, and identity theft, but are all some years old. Cuomo said that all have since given back to the communities where they live and not committed any crimes for many years. The Governor has attempted to prevent the deportation of undocumented immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, particularly those living in New York.
Cuomo gave an executive order that forced agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to have a warrant to be able to make arrests of undocumented immigrants within state facilities. Last month, he announced that the state was launching a lawsuit against the Trump administration for the zero–tolerance policy that resulted in immigrant parents being separated from their children at the southern US border.
The move is the third occasion on which Cuomo has used his authority to give clemency to undocumented immigrants facing removal from the US, having pardoned 18 people in December 2017.