To MY mind, Moonbeam’s “pardon” is null and void. A STATE governor can’t pardon an illegal alien perp for a FEDERAL crime and deportation. He has no standing. It’s time somebody put that squirrely bahstid in his place. I think he’s certifiable.
The California governor can indeed pardon people of crimes committed (and convicted of) in California. The legal theory is that by issuing the pardon, it removes the basis for the deportation.
Just a tiny little problem; as much as liberals love to imagine pardons erase convictions, it does so for state reasons only. It will restore voting rights IN California, but as has been tested in court, such pardons do not exempt a felon from checking the ‘I’ve been convicted of a felony’ or ‘convicted of domestic violence’ boxes on federal forms.
Most states will respect the pardon from another state (Hawaii of course is one of the exceptions) and again, as has been tested in court, such acceptance, even on the federal level, is optional and never mandatory. Full faith and credit need not apply to pardons or commutations.
Liberals are banking on federal immigration lawyers and immigration courts to honor these pardons, or at least lead enough of a public backlash to put an end to these proceedings. There’s not a lot of public support to keep kidnappers, drug dealers and wife beaters here, even in California, much less the rest of the country.