President Trump lashed out at California Gov. Jerry Brown for pardoning five immigrants ahead of the Easter holiday.
Brown issued 56 pardons and 14 commutations on Friday in advance of Easter. The governor, who was once a Jesuit novice, has traditionally issued clemency before Christmas and Easter.
His office noted that pardons are “granted to individuals who have demonstrated exemplary behavior and have lived productive and law-abiding lives following their conviction.”
Referring to the governor as “Jerry ‘Moonbeam’ Brown,” a 1970s-era jibe, Trump singled out “5 criminal illegal aliens” among those receiving clemency in an early-morning tweet:
The five men served time in the late 1990s and and early 2000s and now face deportation. Brown’s pardons will potentially allow them to remain in the United States.
Trump began his campaign for the presidency by criticizing Mexican immigrants, and has long accused California of being soft on crime because of its sanctuary policies.
