California Governor Pardons Three Felon Immigrants In Attempt To Shield Them From Deportation

Now, in this case, all three are legal residents, though not U.S. citizens, as opposed to illegal aliens, but, the Democrat talking point about them only wanting the good illegal aliens, not the bad ones, should be kept in mind

California governor pardons 3 in bid to block deportations

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced that he is pardoning three men who separately committed crimes when they were each 19 years old and now are attempting to avoid being deported to Cambodia or Vietnam.

It’s the latest in a series of similar actions by the Democratic governor as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to deport those with criminal records, particularly to Southeast Asian nations.

California has fashioned itself as a “sanctuary state” for those in the country illegally, and in 2017 passed a law barring local and state agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities over those who have committed certain crimes, mostly misdemeanors.

So, what misdemeanors have these three fine, upstanding people committed?

Those pardoned include Saman Pho, 44, of Oakland, who was the subject of a state Capitol rally and petition drive earlier this month by immigrant rights groups. The group Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus said he was detained by immigration agents early last month.

He arrived in the United States at age 7, fleeing Cambodia with his family. He was convicted in 1995 of attempted murder after shooting a victim in the leg during a fight, served 12 years in prison and now has a U.S. citizen wife and four minor children.

The others are Santa Clara County residents Quyen Mai, 36, and Dat Vu, 38, both fighting deportation to Vietnam.

Mai was sentenced to nearly three years in prison after his conviction in 2005 of being an accessory following a shooting during a fight, according to the governor’s office. He is now executive director of the Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation, has several public service awards and started the first Vietnamese-American youth-run radio talk show. He entered the U.S. as a refugee when he was 11 years old.

Vu was convicted in 2000 of assaulting three men in two incidents and threatening a witness. He entered the U.S. at age 9 as a refugee from Vietnam and now has a U.S. citizen wife and two young children.

Those are some serious misdemeanors, eh? Oh, right, they’re all felonies. And Gavin is not pardoning them for being upstanding citizens since their release from prison, but, simply to stop deportations. Part of the condition of legal status, whether as a refugee, applying for citizenship, etc, is that they understand that if they commit crimes they get booted out. Pho was ordered deported under the Obama administration, as wee Mai and Vu.