Brooklyn District Attorney Candidates Differ on Immigration Policy
Acting District Attorney Eric Gonzalez defended his decision to consider immigration status when offering plea agreements and bringing charges, during an interview with WNYC's Brian Lehrer.
He said the policy only applies to low-level charges like marijuana possession, which can have collateral consequences on non-citizens. He said he hired two immigration attorneys to advise his staffers on how to protect green card holders and other immigrants, by considering other pleas that result in the same length of sentence.
"These low-level offenses can be very critical to prevent them from getting citizenship," he explained. "It can prevent them from being allowed reentry if they leave the country and go home to visit relatives." . . .