Example

#PardonJamesNOW

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.

A clemency campaign, spearheaded by the Clemency Coalition of NY, took place from August 11th, 2021 to August 18th, 2021, the day of his ICE check-in. A toolkit was created for the #PardonJamesNOW campaign, which included email & call templates for community members to contact elected officials such as Vice President Harris, Governor Cuomo, and President Biden. The toolkit also included graphics and sample captions/posts to share on social media and a petition to sign.

This would have culminated to a 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.