Overview

• Under New York law, pardons do not expunge criminal records but they remove convictions that trigger deportation proceedings.
• The clemency for Laotian migrant Somchith Vatthanavong prevented his imminent deportation and enabled AALDEF to vacate his 25-year-old removal order.
• Hochul defended her decision as an act of compassion, saying recipients “have paid their debt” and warning against sending them to countries where they have no ties.
• The pardons have intensified scrutiny of New York’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities during heightened deportations of Southeast Asian nationals.
• Hochul’s office says it received 84 pardon and 186 commutation applications in 2025 as groups like Mekong NYC and AALDEF push state clemency to counter federal removal orders.