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Gov. Snyder pardons Kalamazoo doctor detained by ICE

Posted at 11:15 PM, Dec 21, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-21 23:21:55-05

LANSING, Mich.  —  2018 started off as a tough year for a Kalamazoo doctor facing the possibility of deportation during the U.S. immigration crackdown. But it’s ending on a happier note for him.

As one of his last acts in office, Governor Rick Snyder has granted a pardon to long-time BronsonHealth physician Dr. Lukasz Niec. That, after the Poland native was taken into custody and jailed in Calhoun County on January 16, related to 18 run-ins with the law, most being traffic or civil infractions. He also had two 1992 state convictions for Malicious Destruction of Property and stolen property.

U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) says any immigrant with two misdemeanor convictions can potentially be kicked out of the country.

Dr. Niec came to the United States as a child in 1987 with his parents. He’s now 43 years old.

He expressed remorse about the actions of his youth during a hearing before the Michigan Department of Corrections Parole Board last July.

Governor Snyder announced pardons and commutations for 61 people.