WASHINGTON \u2014 The House Judiciary Committee is renewing a May request to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz to hand over all records on migrants accused of crimes who have received \u201cpreferential treatment\u201d by her office as a result of so-called \u201csanctuary\u201d policies.<\/p>\n
Katz\u2019s office was asked to hand over the records by June 10, but had claimed 10th Amendment protections in order to ignore the request, according to a Monday letter from Judiciary Committee leaders obtained by The Post.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour pro-criminal alien policies appear intentionally designed to thwart this authority,\u201d charged Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Chairman Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) in the letter.<\/p>\n
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz speaks at a press conference after the arraignment of Jabez Chakraboty on Friday, February 13, 2026, at the Queens Supreme Court in Queens, NY. (BRIGITTE STELZER) Brigitte Stelzer for NY Post<\/p>\n
\u201cMoreover, preferential treatment of foreign nationals by your office may also violate federal civil rights laws,\u201d the Republicans noted.<\/p>\n
The House committee advanced legislation earlier this year seeking to stop sanctuary jurisdictions from flouting federal immigration laws \u2014 and called out New York officials for not honoring a majority of detainer requests.<\/p>\n
Many of the left-leaning jurisdictions oppose coordinating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), requiring officers to obtain judicial warrants or jump through other hoops before handing over migrants charged with crimes into federal custody.<\/p>\n
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, leaves the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (CQ-Roll Call, Inc.) CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Jordan and McClintock\u2019s missive cited the Shut Down Sanctuary Policies Act of 2026, which amends provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act to mandate cooperation between state and federal authorities.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn your June 10 letter, you also objected to the scope of the Committee\u2019s requests, claiming that it would be impossible to \u2018[s]earch[] for communications dealing with non-citizens,\u2019\u201d wrote the GOP chairmen.<\/p>\n
\u201cNonetheless, you do not provide any rationale for why it is not possible to provide documents and communications related even to a single employee, the office\u2019s Immigration Specialist, or materials related to certain foreign nationals\u2019 cases\u2014the same cases you have boasted about in public reports,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (Eric Lee) REUTERS<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition, you have given no indication that your office has attempted to obtain any of the requested information in the three months since you received the Committee\u2019s request.\u201d<\/p>\n
Katz was one of seven New York City officials queried about their sanctuary policies<\/a>, including NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Department of Corrections Commissioner Stanley Richards and the top prosecutors of all five boroughs.<\/p>\n