(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont released the following statement regarding the announcement made today that Attorney General William Tong has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut affirming that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will recognize full and unconditional pardons granted by the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles in cases involving noncitizens:
“Just like in any other state, any individual who has received a pardon in Connecticut should have the opportunity to work here and contribute positively to their communities. I applaud Attorney General Tong for his relentless effort to seek this agreement, which we knew all along was the right thing to do.”
In 2019, Governor Lamont successfully advocated for the release from federal detention of a Connecticut resident who was facing deportation because federal officials at that time would not recognize the pardon she had been granted by the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles.