NY Officials Ignore Reporter Question on Downgrading Charges to Prevent Deportation

New York Attorney General Letitia James fell silent when a reporter asked if she downgraded charges to protect suspected migrant criminals from deportation. The refusal happened Thursday during a gun-safety press conference, where James stood alongside Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. They all ignored the question.

A New York Post journalist pressed them on a congressional investigation accusing Democratic district attorneys of directing prosecutors to consider immigration consequences in criminal cases. The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee alleged that officials instructed staff to reduce charges, even in serious matters, specifically to help defendants avoid removal from the US.

"Did any of you order prosecutors to downgrade gun charges to keep illegal immigrants in the US, per the Judiciary Committee report the recent house judiciary report?" the reporter asked. None of the three officials responded. "This is a gun-safety question," the reporter pressed. "Any response from any of you?"

"Our answer couldn't help it," Katz eventually said. Another person then called for questions about the event, moving the press conference along.

The allegations suggest that defendants accused of serious crimes received more favorable plea deals because of their immigration status. The committee cited internal communications where Katz allegedly advised staff to "not get caught up in the label of felonies, misdemeanors." She reportedly instructed Queens prosecutors to "exercise extreme caution" when pursuing charges against defendants whose status could expose them to deportation.

The investigation also raised concerns about how child sex crime cases were handled in the Bronx. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark was accused of directing prosecutors to engage in "immigration-conscious plea bargaining" during negotiations. The committee concluded that these directives showed prosecutors prioritized immigration issues over the seriousness of the criminal charges involved.