The Legal Aid Society is lauding the decision by Governor Hochul to pardon Kayode Oseni, an immigration client who was at risk of deportation.

Kayode Oseni, 33, came to the United States when he was six years old and has now lived here for most of his life. He is married to a United States citizen and they have a young child who is also a United States citizen.

Mr. Oseni was convicted of Robbery in the First Degree in 2010 for an offense occurring when he was 18 years old. Since his conviction, he has earned an Associate’s Degree and a Bachelor’s Degree and has maintained employment. He is active in his local community and helps care for his mother. A pardon will help him avert the threat of deportation so that he can remain in the United States with his family and community.

“Kayode Oseni has called New York City home for decades, but a conviction from his youth resulted in the loss of his lawful permanent resident status and has threatened to entirely upend his life, and separate him from his family and community,” said Mia Unger, Mr. Oseni’s immigration attorney at Legal Aid.

“The Legal Aid Society thanks Governor Kathy Hochul for granting Mr. Oseni’s pardon, and we encourage the Governor to extend this relief on a regular basis to the many New Yorkers across the state who have commutation and pardon applications pending with her office,” she continued. “Today’s outcome would have never been possible but for the tireless work of Brooklyn Law School’s Clemency and Pardon Project, who prepared and submitted Mr. Oseni’s pardon application and never wavered in their advocacy for him.”