A 22-page report from the House Judiciary Committee accuses prosecutors across New York City of intentionally downgrading or altering criminal charges against noncitizens to help them avoid convictions that could trigger deportation.
The allegations surfaced publicly on Thursday when reporters pressed New York Attorney General Letitia James, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez about the report during a press conference in Manhattan. According to the New York Post, Katz threw up her hands and shrugged when asked directly whether she had ordered prosecutors to downgrade gun charges to keep noncitizens in the country, saying only, “Our answer couldn’t help it,” before a speaker steered the conference to other questions.
A spokesperson for Katz’s office later told Fox News Digital that the office does not go easy on firearms cases. “We charge any defendant with an illegal firearm with the highest possible charge under the law,” the spokesperson said.
What the report alleges
The congressional report describes practices it says are in place across several of the city’s district attorneys’ offices, spanning Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
According to the document, Katz’s office employs an “Immigration Specialist” who helps negotiate what the report calls “immigration-safe” plea deals and works to reduce past convictions.
The report also points to a 2022 memorandum attributed to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg that allegedly directs prosecutors to pursue case outcomes avoiding deportation consequences for all misdemeanors and non-carceral felonies.
In the Bronx, the office of DA Darcel Clark reportedly trains prosecutors in what the report calls “Immigration-Conscious Plea Bargaining.” That training is said to include offering non-deportable offenses, avoiding aggravated felony charges, and using hypothetical or “legally impossible” charges — such as “attempted reckless assault” — that lack the legal intent requirements needed for a standard charge.
The report further claims prosecutors were instructed to leave out certain details from official conviction records, including gun involvement, domestic relationships between victim and defendant, or the age of minor victims, in order to keep federal immigration authorities from using those facts as grounds for removal.
Response and outstanding questions
Following the news conference, a spokesperson for Katz again reached out to the New York Post to reiterate that no leniency is shown in weapons cases.
Fox News Digital reported it has reached out to the offices of the other four New York City district attorneys for comment. The exchange at Thursday’s press conference left several of the direct questions about the report’s specific allegations unanswered on the record.
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