Kings County Criminal Bar Association president wants other DAs to follow Gonzalez’s lead on immigration
Acting District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced a new policy on Monday that aims to help keep immigrants from being deported if they are arrested on certain low-level and misdemeanor crimes in Brooklyn, a decision that the borough’s criminal bar association says it supports.
“Any action that seeks to make outcomes in criminal cases more fair and just by taking into consideration all of the consequences of a conviction, including immigration consequences, is a step in the right direction that all DA’s offices in the city should take notice of and follow [Acting] DA Gonzalez’s lead,” said Michael Cibella, president of the Kings County Criminal Bar Association (KCCBA).
As was reported in the Brooklyn Eagle back in January, the acting DA officially announced that he hired two immigration attorneys who will train his staff on immigration issues. They will advise prosecutors on plea offers and sentencing recommendations on cases in which non-citizens have been arrested on low-level charges to keep them from being deported.