A Bronx father was released from an immigration detention center and reunited with his family Friday evening after being granted a pardon by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Baba Sillah, a father of five, immigrated to the United States at the age of 22 when he fled Gambia.

While a visitor in the United States, Sillah was repeatedly charged with low-level misdemeanors and violations due to selling clothes and supplies without a license. However, he eventually obtained work authorization, began paying taxes and has been working as a porter ever since, for the past 15 years.

"He is a very good guy. He is a good father, good husband, good friend, he is very caring,” says his wife, Mamou Drame.

Sillah, who is married to an American citizen, has been attending routine Immigration and Customs Enforcement appointments for the past 17 years. Back in January, however, he was detained.

Gov. Cuomo has since issued the pardon and stated that: "Mr. Baba Sillah's detention by ICE threatened to take him from his wife and five children and was a profound injustice that undermined everything we believe in this country."