100 signatures reached
To: Governor Kathy Hochul
#PardonRicky to Prevent a Lifelong New Yorker's Banishment to a Country He Doesn't Know
Ricky Williams is a 58 year old New Yorker who faces imminent deportation to Antigua and Barbuda. Unless Governor Kathy Hochul immediately grants Ricky a pardon, Ricky could be deported by ICE. Join us to demand that Governor Hochul #PardonRicky now!
Although Ricky was born in Antigua in 1963, he otherwise has no connection to the country. Ricky arrived as a young child in the US, which has been his home for more than 50 years. If deported, Ricky would face separation from his family who all reside in the US, and displacement to Antigua where he has no family, connections, or sources of support.
Ricky has been undocumented nearly the entire time—over 50 years—he has lived in New York. He could get a green card except for the fact that he has criminal convictions that disqualify him.
Ricky now faces imminent deportation to a country he hasn't seen since the 1960s. This looming deportation can only be stopped if he gets permanent status, which requires a pardon of his criminal convictions. This deportation would devastate not only Ricky, but also his ailing mother who he cares for, and his entire family and community of friends and loved ones in New York.
Ricky's criminal convictions all result from his lifelong struggle with addiction. His struggle with addiction—which should be treated as a medical issue—has been consistently criminalized, trapping him in his undocumented status and preventing him from getting permanent safety from deportation.
Governor Hochul must #PardonRicky to let this lifelong New Yorker find stability and safety from deportation.
Although Ricky was born in Antigua in 1963, he otherwise has no connection to the country. Ricky arrived as a young child in the US, which has been his home for more than 50 years. If deported, Ricky would face separation from his family who all reside in the US, and displacement to Antigua where he has no family, connections, or sources of support.
Ricky has been undocumented nearly the entire time—over 50 years—he has lived in New York. He could get a green card except for the fact that he has criminal convictions that disqualify him.
Ricky now faces imminent deportation to a country he hasn't seen since the 1960s. This looming deportation can only be stopped if he gets permanent status, which requires a pardon of his criminal convictions. This deportation would devastate not only Ricky, but also his ailing mother who he cares for, and his entire family and community of friends and loved ones in New York.
Ricky's criminal convictions all result from his lifelong struggle with addiction. His struggle with addiction—which should be treated as a medical issue—has been consistently criminalized, trapping him in his undocumented status and preventing him from getting permanent safety from deportation.
Governor Hochul must #PardonRicky to let this lifelong New Yorker find stability and safety from deportation.
Why is this important?
Deporting a lifelong New Yorker for struggling with addiction is cruel, and Governor Hochul could easily stop it by granting him a pardon!