Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York, speaks to members of the press at Trump Tower in New York City on January 18, 2017. (Stephanie Keith/Reuters)

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday pardoned seven illegal immigrants facing deportation for “minor criminal convictions” from 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.”


The convictions, all years-old, include low-level assault, petty larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, identity theft, and criminal sale of a controlled substance. All seven individuals have been crime-free for a “substantial period” and have given back to their communities, Cuomo’s statement said.

The New York governor has aggressively fought to diminish the capacity of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport illegal aliens, especially those residing in New York. He has issued an executive order mandating that ICE agents have a warrant if they want to make civil arrests of illegal immigrants in state facilities. And last month, he announced that the state is suing the Trump administration for separating children from their parents at the border.

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