Illegal immigrants make up 75 percent of arrests in Midtown Manhattan and are flooding New York City’s criminal justice system at far higher rates than public officials have acknowledged, according to a new report. The New York Post has revealed that around 75 percent of the people who have been arrested in Midtown Manhattan in recent months for crimes including assault, robbery, and domestic violence are illegal immigrants, per police sources that spoke to the outlet.
Additionally, the NYPD is handcuffed by sanctuary city laws which prohibit officers from working with ICE and is banned from asking about or tracking the immigration status of offenders.
Sources told The Post that word has gotten to the illegal immigrants in shelters about the city’s lax bail guidelines and they know they will get released quickly. Mayor Eric Adams has previously called for the City Council to change the sanctuary city laws.
One officer told the outlet, “I would say about 75 percent of the arrests in Midtown Manhattan are migrants, mostly for robberies, assaults, domestic incidents, and selling counterfeit items.” He added the number is an estimate because “you can’t be 100 percent sure [they’re migrants] unless you arrest them in a shelter or they’re dumb enough to give you a shelter address.”
Another cop said local arrests involving illegal immigrants are “easily 75 percent.” He added that most who get busted for shoplifting “can’t be bothered with lower-end stores. They like Lululemon and Sunglass Hut.” He noted that illegal immigrants are responsible for “most” of the pickpocketing and phone and chain snatches the NYPD is called for. A cop told the outlet that in Queens the number is more than 60 percent and New York City courts are packed with illegal immigrants who have committed a crime.
A law-enforcement officer at Queens Criminal Court House told The Post, “There are days we have so many migrant cases we have to call in for extra Spanish interpreters.” Another officer added, “Come on Mondays! Almost every case is a migrant.”
According to The Post, most of the crimes are domestic incidents or petty thefts. Some involve gang violence or sexual assaults. The Post reported that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has set up operations in NYC and is connected to hundreds of crimes, including the shootings of two NYPD officers in June. The gang has reportedly been smuggling guns into city-run illegal immigrant shelters in food delivery bags.