Overview
- The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee released a report alleging New York City prosecutors used 'immigration-conscious' plea bargaining to reframe or omit charge elements so convictions would not trigger deportation.
- The report points to internal documents from multiple offices, including training guides, a 2022 Manhattan memo and a Queens email, and it notes an 'Immigration Specialist' role used to negotiate migration-safe pleas.
- When asked about the report at a Manhattan gun-safety news conference on Thursday, New York Attorney General Letitia James and DAs Melinda Katz and Eric Gonzalez declined to answer questions about the allegations.
- At least one DA spokesperson disputed parts of the report, saying the Queens office does not show leniency in illegal-firearm cases, while the committee's data also note thousands of ICE detainer requests were declined from 2018 to 2026.
- The report has sharpened partisan scrutiny and could lead to further oversight, subpoenas or legislation, even as New York's courts and prosecutors point to long-standing plea bargaining practices used to manage caseloads and legal risk.