Three prominent New York officials expressed surprise when questioned about allegations from a House Judiciary Committee report. The report accuses local prosecutors of intentionally lessening charges against noncitizens to protect them from deportation.
During a press conference in Manhattan, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez addressed inquiries related to city prosecutors altering charges to help noncitizens avoid deportation-triggering convictions.
A reporter challenged them by asking if they had instructed prosecutors to reduce gun charges to prevent illegal immigrants from being deported, as per the Judiciary Committee report.
Did any of you order prosecutors to downgrade gun charges to keep illegal immigrants in the U.S., per the Judiciary Committee report?
Melinda Katz shrugged, as reported by the New York Post, while a speaker redirected the topic of the conference. Katz’s office later defended their actions, emphasizing, We charge any defendant with an illegal firearm with the highest possible charge under the law,
in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The exchange occurred following the release of a 22-page congressional report that outlined practices common among New York City prosecutors’ offices. According to the report, Katz’s office employs an Immigration Specialist to negotiate immigration-safe plea deals and reduce prior convictions.
The report also mentioned a 2022 memorandum from Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg that purportedly directed prosecutors to seek plea agreements that avoid deportation consequences for misdemeanors and non-carceral felonies. Additionally, it noted that Bronx DA Darcel Clark’s office instructs on Immigration-Conscious Plea Bargaining. This includes offering non-deportable offenses, avoiding charges that could be considered aggravated felonies, and using hypothetical charges like attempted reckless assault,
which do not require legal intent.
Prosecutors were also reportedly advised to exclude crucial details from conviction records, such as involvement with firearms, domestic relationships, or the age of young victims, to prevent federal immigration authorities from using these details as deportation grounds.
Following the press conference, Katz’s spokesperson reiterated that leniency is not afforded in weapons cases, asserting, We charge any defendant with an illegal firearm with the highest possible charge under the law.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the other four New York City district attorneys’ offices for further comments on this matter.
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