URGENT: Support Hoa’s Pardon Application
Governor Kathy Hochul
Mekong NYC and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) are asking for your support for Hoa, a community member facing imminent deportation to Cambodia. Hoa is scheduled to check in with ICE at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan on November 8, when we anticipate he will be detained and prepared for deportation. If deported, Hoa will be returning to a country he fled as a child refugee due to the Khmer Rouge genocide – or even deported to a third country he has never set foot in. A pardon is the only form of relief that can protect Hoa from deportation and separation from his family.
As a 53-year-old Cambodian refugee, Hoa has lived in New York since 1981 and is a beloved husband and devoted father to two U.S. citizen children. After serving eight years in prison for a 1992 conviction stemming from an incident in which someone else fired the shot, Hoa has spent the past 25 years reflecting with remorse on his past, rebuilding his life, and providing for his family. Today, he serves his community through his employment at a NYC-based organization that fights homelessness and recidivism – an organization he initially sought services from in 2001, and that he now works at as a trusted facilities manager in providing shelter and support to those who are in the same position he was in decades ago. Hoa’s trajectory – from client to trusted manager at this organization – speaks to his dedication and rehabilitation.
Like tens of thousands of other Southeast Asian refugees, Hoa faces deportation due to the cruel and unjust intersection of the immigration and criminal legal systems. Despite having already served time, he faces the on-going and endless punishment of deportation and ultimately separation from his family and loved ones here in New York.
As Hoa prepares to check-in with ICE, we call on Governor Hochul to pardon Hoa immediately. No one should have to face the cruelty of separation from their loved ones. Hoa deserves to stay in New York where he belongs —with his family, in the only home he’s ever known.
Petition by
Sponsored by
To:
Governor Kathy Hochul
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Governor Hochul,
Hoa, a New Yorker for over 45 years, is facing imminent deportation to Cambodia. He is scheduled to check in with ICE on November 8th, when we anticipate he will be detained and prepared for deportation. If deported, Hoa will be deported to a country he fled as a child refugee – or even to a third country he has never set foot in. A pardon is the only form of relief that can protect Hoa from deportation and separation from his family.
As a 53-year-old Cambodian refugee, Hoa has lived in New York since 1981 and is a beloved husband and devoted father to two U.S. citizen children. After serving eight years in prison for a 1992 conviction stemming from an incident in which someone else fired the shot, Hoa has spent the past 25 years reflecting with remorse on his past, rebuilding his life, and providing for his family. Today, he serves his community as a highly trusted facilities manager at a NYC-based organization that fights homelessness and recidivism, whose strong endorsement speaks to his dedication and rehabilitation.
Nothing but your pardon can stop this. Hoa was ordered removed in 1998 on the sole basis of this conviction, and there is no form of immigration relief he is eligible for. With a full and unconditional pardon from you, he can reopen his immigration case and vacate his removal order.
As Hoa prepares to check-in with ICE, we call on you to pardon Hoa immediately. No one should have to face the cruelty of separation from their loved ones. Hoa deserves to stay in New York where he belongs —with his family, in the only home he’s ever known. With the stroke of your pen, you can help Hoa do just this, transforming his life for the better.