Crime by illegal immigrants in the Big Apple is much higher than city officials are letting on, according to a new report.
Police sources told the New York Post that the criminal justice system across New York is being flooded with illegal immigrants. In Midtown Manhattan, they estimate 75 percent of those arrested for crimes such as robbery, assault, and domestic violence are committed by illegal immigrants, while in some areas of Queens, the figure is more than 60 percent.
On any given day, Big Apple criminal court dockets are packed with asylum seekers who have run afoul of the law.
The problem is made much worse by sanctuary city laws that mean New York cops aren’t allowed to work with ICE on cases where they believe suspects are in the country illegally. Additionally, the NYPD says it is barred from tracking the immigration status of offenders.
This makes it almost impossible for authorities to get their arms around the problem, experts and sources on the ground say.
“New York City eliminated a tool to get rid of violent criminals. What a mess,” Jim Quinn, a veteran ex prosecutor at the Queens Districts Attorney’s office, told The Post.
“The sanctuary city law is pathetic. It’s disgusting. It’s crazy.”
Making matters worse, police sources say that word has gotten out in the shelters about the city’s lax bail guidelines — meaning migrants know they’re going to get kicked back to the street quickly after they’re nabbed.
A City Hall spokesman pointed to Mayor Eric Adams’ previous calls for the City Council to change the sanctuary city laws. Last week, Adams said, “Right now, we don’t have the authorization to be able to go and coordinate with ICE. We have to follow the law.” (New York Post)
While police are prohibited from asking about the immigration status of suspects and victims, the Midtown officer gave the estimate based on his experience since you can't be certain "unless you arrest them in a shelter or they’re dumb enough to give you a shelter address.”
A Manhattan officer, meanwhile, agreed, telling the Post that arrests involving illegal immigrants is "easily" 75 percent. And the courts are seeing it, too.
“There are days we have so many migrant cases we have to call in for extra Spanish interpreters,” a law-enforcement officer at Queens Criminal Court House told The Post.
Another court officer said, “Come on Mondays! Almost every case is a migrant.”
A separate NYPD source told the Post some areas of the city are beginning to look like "Casablanca" with so many people selling items on the sidewalks.
“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 source told the Post.