Immigrant Rights Advocate Ravi Ragbir Among Those Granted Presidential Pardon by Joe Biden
- The 60-year-old New Yorker was facing years of threat of deportation to his native Trinidad and Tobago.
New York City-based immigrant rights advocate Ravi Ragbir, 60, was granted a presidential pardon by Joe Biden on Jan. 19, a day before Trump’s inauguration. The pardon allows the Trinidad native to remain in the United States with his wife, Amy Gottlieb, after years of facing the threat of deportation to Trinidad and Tobago.
In the press statement Biden said Ragbir is among several clemency recipients who have made “significant contributions to improving their communities.” Ragbir had the support from New Yorkers, including advocacy organizations, labor unions, and lawmakers who “commend his efforts to promote justice and human dignity,” the statement added.
Ragbir told The Gothamist that he’s “still numb from the news,” and the he “celebrated the life-changing decision” with friends and supporters over “a lot of food and lots of wine.” He lived in “constant anxiety” for years, he told the publication, claiming that “ past three weeks had been torture.”
Support organizations such as the Immigrant Defense Project hailed the pardon as a win for immigrant rights and a rejection of laws that specifically target immigrant advocates.
Ravi Ragbir’s pardon is a true victory for justice!
— Rep. Nydia Velazquez (@NydiaVelazquez) January 19, 2025
I’ve fought for Ravi for years, defending his right to stay in the country he’s worked so hard to serve.
Now, he can continue his vital advocacy without fear.
Justice and compassion prevailed. https://t.co/Kyfwn7XTBS
Ragbir came to the U.S. from Trinidad and Tobago 30 years ago. A green card holder, he was arrested during Trump’s first administration, and nearly removed from the country. His legal troubles began in 2001 when a wire fraud conviction made his green card subject to review. When Trump was elected in 2016, Ragbir received national attention as executive director of the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City. In 2018, his detention during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement check-in at the Federal Building in Lower Manhattan led to street protests, with 18 of his supporters arrested outside.
Although he is married to a U.S. citizen and has a U.S.-born daughter, ICE has refused to normalize his status or stop his required check-ins. In 2022, Ragbir and his legal team reached a settlement in a First Amendment lawsuit that ICE would not deport him for three years as he worked to stay in the U.S.
In an interview with The Gothamist, Ragbir’s attorney Alina Das recalled how the Scommunity won after fighting “tooth and nail” for her client to be freed. “The subsequent efforts by Ragbir and his supporters encouraged the public to see the dignity and humanity of immigrants,” Das said.