Individual Clemency Cases

The Clemency Coalition of New York launches individual case campaigns to bring relief for individual community members, and to organize our bases and NYers more broadly. The goal is for the governor to grant clemency for the individuals.

Meet James Pamphile

James Pamphile identifies as a 44 year old, Black, gay, immigrant from Haiti who is HIV positive. In August 2021, James faced deportation to Haiti, despite the fact that he has lived in the U.S. for twenty years. In New York City, he has been able to receive medical treatment and care that allows him to live. If deported, he will not receive the medication treatment he needs to survive in Haiti. Given the deadly conditions in Haiti triggered by the recent assassination of the country’s President, it is even more clear that James is unlikely to survive if deported to Haiti. 

James had an ICE check-in on August 18, 2021, at which point he could have been re-detained and swiftly deported. His only hope was a pardon from Governor Cuomo, which would open up the opportunity for him to apply for asylum and stay in this country.


What happened?

We spearheaded the #PardonJamesNow campaign from August 11-18, 2021, which included email and call templates to contact officials, as well as graphics and posts to share on social media with a petition to sign. This would have culminated to an in-person rally on August 18th. However, thanks to the collective efforts of our coalition and community members, Governor Cuomo granted clemency to James, alongside 9 other individuals on August 17th.

Meet Colin Absolam

Colin Absolam immigrated to the United States when he was 11 years old. When he was in high school, he left home and struggled with homelessness, forced to sleep in an abandoned car. To try and support himself, his girlfriend, and their soon to-be born child, he got into dealing drugs. At 19, he got in a fight with an older dealer, and shot and killed him. Colin was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. 

Despite the long road ahead, while incarcerated, Colin stayed focused and became a changemaker for the good. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He co-founded Voices from Within, an anti-violence initiative that aims to stop cycles of violence in the community. He led the Prisoners for AIDS Counseling and Education group for many years. Finally, in 2019, the Parole Board found Colin ready to return to society and ordered his release after 25 years in prison. 

But Colin was not really released. He was transferred directly into ICE custody and scheduled for deportation. The night before his deportation flight, then-Governor Cuomo granted Colin a pardon. Over the next 48 hours, Colin was able to secure a stay of his deportation and file a motion to close his immigration case. Finally, a couple weeks later Colin was released from ICE detention and a free man for the first time in decades.

Today, Colin has his green card reinstated and and works at Exodus Transitional Community.

Meet Juan Reynoso

Juan Reynoso moved to the United States when he was a young man, joining his mother and many siblings, all New Yorkers. He settled in Albany, where the slower pace of life and close knit community made him feel at home. He worked for a number of local businesses and for the sheet metal workers union for years. However, while sharing a storefront with an acquaintance, he was convicted for cigarettes being sold with false tax stamps on the premises. 

After completing his sentence, he worked hard to get back on his feet, establishing his own small business and a local recycling center. But ICE had other plans for Juan, arresting him and trying to deport him for the cigarette-related conviction. With his children, partner, and entire family in the United States, Juan never gave up fighting to stay in the US. And yet he still found time to give back, as a landlord helping numerous tenants transition from homelessness and find employment, especially those with disabilities, chronic illness, and language needs. 

In 2020, then-Governor Cuomo granted Juan a pardon, allowing him to close his immigration case and have his green card reinstated. The pardon has changed Juan’s life forever, and gives him an opportunity to become a citizen after living in New York for almost 30 years.

Other New Yorkers Need Your Help

While we celebrate these success stories, it’s important to remember that, there are many other New Yorkers who are awaiting a response on their clemency applications.

The current state of clemency in New York is inefficient and convoluted. As the Clemency Coalition of New York is working on passing the Clemency Justice Act, we envision a future where those seeking clemency have a streamlined and clear process.