WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- On his final full day in office , President Bush issued commutations for two former U.S. Border Patrol agents convicted in 2006 of shooting and wounding an unarmed illegal immigrant -- suspected of drug smuggling at the time -- and then covering it up . An artist 's sketch shows Ignacio Ramos , left , and Jose Compean . The prison sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean will now end March 20 . Ramos had received an 11-year prison sentence ; Compean had received a 12-year term . They began serving their sentences in January 2007 . The Office of the Pardon Attorney was still reviewing the clemency request when Bush made his decision , Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said . `` The president has reviewed the circumstances of this case as a whole and the conditions of confinement and believes the sentences they received are too harsh and that they , and their families , have suffered enough for their crimes , '' a senior administration official said . `` Commuting their sentences does not diminish the seriousness of their crimes . Ramos and Compean are convicted felons who violated their oaths to uphold the law and have been severely punished , '' the official stated . `` This commutation gives them an opportunity to return to their families and communities , but both men will have to carry the burden of being convicted felons and the shame of violating their oaths for the rest of their lives . '' The official noted that both Democratic and Republican members of Congress have supported a commutation , including President-elect Barack Obama 's incoming White House chief of staff , Rahm Emanuel , and Texas GOP Sens . Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn . The head of the labor union representing Border Patrol agents told CNN Radio he was `` grateful '' that Bush commuted the sentences but questioned why the prison terms wo n't end until March 20 . `` I would be quite curious to learn why they have to wait another two months for an unjust sentence , '' said Rich Pierce , president of the National Border Patrol Council . He said the union 's ultimate goal would be for the men to get their Border Patrol jobs back . The shooting happened February 17 , 2005 , on the border southeast of El Paso , Texas . During their trial , Ramos and Compean said the illegal immigrant , Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila , had brandished a gun while actively resisting arrest . Aldrete-Davila , however , said he was unarmed and was attempting to surrender when Compean attempted to beat him with a shotgun . Aldrete-Davila was shot while fleeing toward the Rio Grande . Ramos and Compean were ultimately convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon , lying about the incident and violating Aldrete-Davila 's Fourth Amendment right against illegal search and seizure . After receiving immunity to testify in the case against the two agents , Aldrete-Davila was arrested in 2007 on charges of bringing more than 750 pounds of marijuana into the United States . The case quickly became a political flash point , with advocates of tighter border controls defending the agents and civil liberties groups saying that the agents had used illegal and excessive force against Aldrete-Davila . Bush has granted 189 pardons and 11 commutations over his eight years in office , far fewer than Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan in their two-term administrations . During the final months of the Bush administration , speculation has swirled around the question of whether former vice presidential aide Lewis `` Scooter '' Libby would be granted the presidential favor . Libby was convicted in March of 2007 of four counts of lying and impeding a federal investigation into the leak of information that revealed that Valerie Plame was a covert CIA operative . Among the more notable people who have applied for -- but not received -- some form of clemency are : former Rep. Randall `` Duke '' Cunningham , R-California , who was convicted of receiving bribes ; publishing executive Conrad Black , who was found guilty of fraud ; former junk bold salesman Michael Milken , who pleaded guilty to securities fraud ; and former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers , convicted of accounting fraud . The parents of John Walker Lindh , who was given a 20-year sentence after pleading guilty to supporting terrorists in Afghanistan , held a news conference in December urging Bush to commute their son 's sentence . There is a long tradition of presidents issuing pardons and commutations during their final days in office . Clinton pardoned fugitive financier Marc Rich during his last hours in office , setting off a firestorm of controversy . A commutation reduces a convict 's prison term , but the conviction remains on the person 's record . A pardon , however , wipes the slate clean by erasing the record of the conviction . A president has the sole authority to grant clemency to whomever he chooses , although a Justice Department office usually reviews applications and makes recommendations after considering such standards as a person 's degree of remorse and ability to lead a responsible and productive life after release . Those applying for a pardon through the Justice Department are required to wait at least five years after their conviction or release from confinement .
President commutes sentences of Jose Ramos and Jose Compean . President says ` ` the sentences they received are too harsh , '' he says . Ex - Border Patrol agents to be released March 20 . Pair convicted of shooting undocumented immigrant allegedly running drugs .