Criminal Justice Reform

BROOKLYN, NY — Congressmembers Dan Goldman (NY-10), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) today were denied entry to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) Brooklyn during an oversight visit. Joined by advocates from the ACLU, NYIC, and NYCLU, the lawmakers had planned to review the conditions under which over 100 immigrants are now being detained following a new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agreement with the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). 

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) today celebrated the Senate’s passage of his bipartisan ‘Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act,’ which would ensure the families of law enforcement officers who are killed as a result of their work on behalf of their communities are not unjustly denied benefits due to arbitrary retirement status restrictions. Under current law, families of officers who have retired but are later targeted and killed because of their past service are denied death benefits under the Public Safety Officers’ (PSOB) program. The unanimous Senate vote sets the legislation on a glide path to final passage by the House when members come back in session in September. Congressman Goldman introduced the legislation with Congressman Barr (KY-06) in February.

“For months, masked, unidentified ICE agents have been illegally detaining hundreds of non-violent, law-abiding immigrants and holding them for days or weeks in federal facilities in my district without beds, showers, sufficient food, or proper medical care.

Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) today introduced the ‘Preventing Pretrial Gun Purchases Act,’ a bill that would close a critical loophole in the federal background check system and prevent individuals on pretrial release who are deemed a public safety risk from obtaining firearms. Senator Cory Booker (NJ-D) has introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

Washington, D.C – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi today demanding that she promptly release the Jeffrey Epstein Files in full, as well as inform Congress whether President Trump has intervened or delayed the release of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) report due to his well-documented and extensive relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. 

Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) today at a House Judiciary Committee hearing condemned the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in his district, where 17 inmates have died since 2020, in large part due to correctional officers’ inability to effectively oversee the prison due to staffing shortages. The Congressman highlighted how the Trump administration is undermining the safety and security of both prison inmates and staff by eliminating corrections officers’ collective bargaining agreements and staff retention bonuses.

“Despite his public statements, President Donald Trump’s actions have made it abundantly clear how little he truly cares about the health and safety of the American people. At his direction, the Department of Justice has canceled hundreds of previously allocated grants that supported youth gun violence prevention programs, opioid addiction treatment centers, and community initiatives aimed at protecting those most often targeted by hate crimes.

“The Trump Administration’s decision to terminate five federal grants to the Vera Institute for Justice, including ones already designated for mental health crisis response, violence reduction, and resources for survivors of domestic violence, constitutes a direct assault on our most vulnerable communities and every New Yorker’s public safety.