Mothers facing deportation are granted with simple pardon.

Only a couple of days are left before a local mother will be kicked out of the country due to a $300 crime from 13 years ago.

Governor Tim Kaine granted a simple pardon to Kathryn Ingleson, WAVY.com disclosed on Tuesday. This is thought to be a significant step forward for the family.

This is a simple pardon and is an official forgiveness for the crime. Now, the fate of Kathryn Anne Ingleson remains in the hands of federal immigration officials, who have decided to deport her on Thursday.

31-year-old Ingleson moved to the United States from England when she was just seven years old. She immigrated with her parents as a lawful resident but unfortunately failed to become a naturalized citizen. In 1997, she was convicted for the crime of stealing credit cards from customers at the store where she worked at that time. Of those credit cards she bought a Christmas tree, some ornaments and other items, the collective value of all these being about $340. She paid the compensation and completed her probation.

However, when she returned from England, where she went to meet a relative, Ingleson was arrested and placed in removal proceedings. Further, her appeals have been rejected by the immigration officials as well as the courts.

In order to spot her deportation, Ingleson’s attorney is planning to take the pardon to Newport News Circuit Court, where she was convicted. And if the judge agrees to vacate the conviction of Ingleson on the basis of the pardon, then attorney Joseph Peter Drennan will appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals to cancel the deportation order.

However, Kaine did not gave her absolute pardon, which is granted only in case the governor is absolutely convinced that the person did not commit nay crime or did it unintentionally.

Currently, Ingleson has applied with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials for a stay of the deportation order.

When Ingleson stole the credit cards in 1996, she was an eighteen year old single mother. When confronted about it, she confessed her crime, but she wasn’t prosecuted until the following year after a law was introduced that expanded the categories of offences that will lead to deportation.

Kaine spokesman Gordon Hickey said on Tuesday that the governor acknowledged that deportation of Ingleson is completely under the control of federal immigration officials.

Her lawyer said that Kathryn is culturally an American and would be lost in England in terms of her allegiance and affinity.