Migrants are overwhelming New York City’s criminal justice system, with recent data showing they account for more than half of arrests in several areas. In Midtown Manhattan, up to 75% of those arrested for crimes like assault, robbery, and domestic violence are migrants, according to police sources in a report for the New York Post.
The report highlights crowded courtrooms filled with migrants seeking asylum, many of whom are being arrested but quickly released due to lenient bail policies. “About 75% of the arrests in Midtown are migrants, mostly for robberies, assaults, domestic incidents, and selling counterfeit items,” one officer told the New York Post. The officer added that while it’s not always possible to confirm someone’s migrant status, arrests at shelters or migrants providing shelter addresses are common indicators.
The full extent of the issue remains unclear because the New York Police Department (NYPD) is prohibited from tracking the immigration status of those they arrest. Police officers are prohibited from asking about the immigration status of crime victims, witnesses, or suspects, and therefore the NYPD doesn’t track data pertaining to immigration statuses,” an NYPD spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
This issue isn’t isolated to Manhattan. Police sources report that over 60% of arrests in Queens also involve migrants. “Some days we have so many migrant cases, we need extra Spanish interpreters,” a law enforcement officer at the Queens Criminal Courthouse said.
One case spotlighted in the report involves Jefferson Maldenado, a 31-year-old Ecuadorian migrant. Since arriving in the U.S. earlier this year, he has been arrested five times in New York City, including for stealing a pair of pants and a beer from a Target store. “I wanted to change my clothes and think,” Maldenado said, explaining his actions. “This is not a normal world.”
Police argue that New York City’s sanctuary city laws, which prevent law enforcement from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in cases involving migrants, exacerbate the situation. “New York City eliminated a tool to get rid of violent criminals. What a mess,” Jim Quinn, a former prosecutor with the Queens District Attorney’s Office, told the New York Post. He criticized the city’s sanctuary laws, calling them “pathetic” and “disgusting.”
Mayor Eric Adams has called on the City Council to revise the sanctuary laws. “Our law enforcement officers don’t have the authorization to coordinate with ICE. We have to follow the law,” Adams said last week. His office did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
Some police officers express growing frustration over the situation. One officer from Queens compared parts of the city to a “Third World Country.” “Roosevelt Avenue and 91st Street looks like a scene from ‘Casablanca’ with all the vendors. You can buy food, clothes, electronics, tools, and even get your car washed,” the officer said. “The area has become a Third World country, and it seems like City Hall doesn’t care about the taxpayers who live and work here.”
The issue of migrant arrests in New York City is a growing concern, and local law enforcement and officials continue to debate how best to address it.