Acting Brooklyn District Attorney, Eric Gonzalez told Guyanese nationals that they should be treated with respect, dignity, and fairness in the justice criminal system.
During brief remarks on May 13, at the Guyana Action Committee’s Annual Brunch and Mother’s Day honors in Brooklyn, Gonzalez said he is most proud of the strides he made alongside former DA Ken Thompson, (deceased) to ensure the criminal justice system gets fairer, adding that he created an immigration policy to push back from what is coming from Washington DC.
Gonzalez who will be running to become the next Brooklyn district attorney this fall, noted that for more than 20 years, prosecutors have been directly told not to discuss anyone’s immigration status when arrested, just to get the conviction and let immigration lawyers deal with immigration matters.
With immigration lawyers now hired, the District Attorney’s office is looking forward to everyone knowing what the consequences of any plea or sentence recommendation will be, “because if we are going to protect the immigrant community we have to make sure everything is clean-cut,” he said.
When citizens plea to low-level offences, like jumping over the subway turnstile, and they later travel to their native land, Gonzalez said they are denied entry back into the US, their green cards are not renewed, or they are denied naturalization, he said.
“My immigration attorneys will figure this out, because President Trump and DC have taken a positive offence, no matter what the violation is, it could be used to deport people.”
“It is unfair because it rips apart the immigrant community and I would not allow that to happen in Brooklyn, I will help protect the immigration community. I stand with you in Brooklyn,” said Gonzalez.
The lawmaker lauded former District Attorney, Ken Thompson for helping him to transition into the District Attorney’s office, stating that he was appointed chief assistant district attorney by Thompson, and was proud to help him (Thompson) run the District Attorney’s office.
Gonzalez promised to continue his push to make Brooklyn safe for all citizens, listing takedowns, convictions, and gun seizures in the borough that his office has been actively engaged in.
“I am going after people who are sending guns to Brooklyn,” adding that crime is at a historic low, according to records, and named neighborhoods such as East New York, where he once lived, as proof.
He promised to stem the flow of drugs and illegal weapons from down south that end up in Brooklyn. “We will continue doing the work that you need us to do so our families, children, and police officers are not hurt,” Gonzalez added.
