(TJV NEWS) The Department of Homeland Security sharply criticized New York Governor Kathy Hochul after she quietly pardoned Somchith Vatthanavong, 52, a Laotian man convicted of manslaughter, to prevent his deportation.

Vatthanavong was convicted as a teenager for fatally shooting a man during a 1988 altercation at a Brooklyn pool hall, claiming self-defense. He legally entered the U.S. as a refugee following the Vietnam War and served 14 years in prison before his release in 2003.

Kathy Hochul just pardoned 13 migrants, including one who was convicted of manslaughter, to shield them from deportation.

“I’ll be damned if I let them be deported to a country where they don’t know a soul.”
Here she is before Congress in June. pic.twitter.com/5kAiP3HhrJ

— D. Scott @eclipsethis2003 (@eclipsethis2003) August 17, 2025

With President Trump back in office, Vatthanavong faced a higher likelihood of deportation. His family and community advocates launched a campaign urging Hochul to grant clemency. On July 1, just a day before a scheduled immigration appointment that could have led to his arrest, Hochul issued him an unconditional pardon.

The New York Times revealed the pardon on Friday, prompting DHS to respond angrily on X:

“@GovKathyHochul, your shameful secret is out. Rather than putting New Yorkers first, you’re protecting a criminal illegal alien KILLER with a rap sheet including convictions for manslaughter and criminal possession of a firearm… President Trump and @Sec_Noem will continue fighting to protect every American citizen and remove the worst of the worst from our nation.”

Hochul defended her decision, citing the Bible and her belief in mercy:

“One of the toughest calls a governor can make is when another person’s fate is in their hands. Unless I believe someone poses a danger, I follow what the Bible tells us: ‘Forgive one another as God in Christ forgave you.’ They’ve paid their debt, and I’ll be damned if I let them be deported to a country where they don’t know a soul. And to those who would demonize them to score political points, I ask: Where is your compassion?”