House GOP report alleges NYC DAs downgrade charges to prevent deportations

A report from the House Judiciary Committee alleges that Democratic district attorneys in the Bronx and Queens are instructing prosecutors to downgrade criminal charges to ensure illegal immigrants remain in the United States.

The report claims Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark has trained subordinates to pursue alternative charges and conceal certain facts from conviction records to avoid deportable offenses. This includes guidance from a 2019 manual on “immigration-conscious plea bargaining” regarding cases involving child sex crimes. Similarly, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz has reportedly advised prosecutors to exercise caution regarding felony or misdemeanor labels for non-citizens. The Queens DA’s office also employs an “immigration specialist” to assist assistant district attorneys with plea options.

Additionally, the report states that the NYPD honored none of the nearly 10,000 detainer requests received from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the past 12 months. This follows a Department of Homeland Security disclosure that 16,070 detainer requests were ignored by authorities throughout New York State.