New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday he has pardoned seven illegal immigrants who face possible deportation over “minor criminal convictions” years ago.

“At a time when President Trump and the federal government are waging a war on our immigrant communities, New York stands firm in our belief that our diversity is our greatest strength,” Cuomo said in a statement. “While President Trump engages in policies that rip children out of the arms of their mothers and tries to ramp up the deportation of New Yorkers to advance his political agenda of hate and division, we will protect our immigrant communities."





Cuomo's statement made it clear that he hopes that pardoning these seven people will make it harder for them to be deported. "In each case, a pardon will make immigration-related relief possible, if not automatic," the statement from his office said.

Illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds are a higher priority for deportation than illegal immigrants who have not committed a crime.

The crimes Cuomo issued pardons for include low-level assault and petty larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, identity theft, and criminal possession of a controlled substance. The crimes in question were committed several years ago.

The seven people are being pardoned “in recognition of their rehabilitative efforts and to remove the barriers that their criminal records present to their immigration status,” Cuomo’s statement said. The seven, ranging in age from 35 to 57, are from Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, and Colombia.

It’s the third time, and the second time since December, that Cuomo has issued such pardons for illegal immigrants, his office said. He pardoned 18 people in December.