Pardons

In the Fall of 2018, IDP launched Pardon: the Immigrant Clemency Project, an initiative that aims to protect immigrants and to push back against policies that disempower and marginalize people with criminal histories. Under the Trump administration, there are currently thousands of immigrants at risk of deportation because of past criminal convictions. For many individuals, a pardon is their only protection from deportation.

The project launched in New York as PardonNY, a pilot campaign in partnership with The Fortune Society, New Sanctuary Coalition, SEIU 32BJ, Legal Aid Society of Nassau County, New York Immigration Coalition, Make the Road New York, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, Brooklyn Defender Services; the immigration clinics at Brooklyn Law School, CUNY Law School, and Cardozo School of Law; and with pro bono support from the law firms of Orrick, WilmerHale, and Gibson Dunn.

Learn more about PardonNY here, or check out this one-pager on our work!

PardonNY has also generated a toolkit, based on the insights and experience of IDP and legal service providers who have represented and advocated for pardon applicants in New York. It includes a legal primer on the possible benefits of a pardon and eligibility factors, as well as guidance on compiling a strong pardon application.  We hope this is a useful resource for applicants and advocates looking to protect immigrant communities against draconian federal immigration laws. Download it here.