Largest Increase in AUSAs in Decades Allocates Prosecutors to Focus on Violent Crime, Civil Enforcement, and Immigration Crimes
ALBANY, NEW YORK - On the 500th day of the Trump Administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and United States Attorney Grant Jaquith announced that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.
In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSAs will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force, which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
“Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis - and today we are sending in reinforcements," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is ‘the coin of the realm.’ When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades."
In the Northern District of New York, three new AUSAs will be hired: one new AUSA will focus on violent crime, one will focus on civil enforcement, and one will focus on prosecuting immigration crimes.
United States Attorney Grant Jaquith said: “We are grateful to Attorney General Sessions for allocating three additional Assistant United States Attorneys to the Northern District of New York. These reinforcements will enhance our vigorous efforts to curtail violent crime, combat the opioids epidemic, and enforce criminal immigration laws throughout our large district, including our 310-mile border with Canada."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
