New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
On the 500th day of the Trump Administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Andrew E. Lelling 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. The District of Massachusetts will receive five new federal prosecutors who will focus on violent crime, civil enforcement and immigration matters.
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 AUSA’s 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.”
The District of Massachusetts will hire two new AUSAs to focus on violent crime, two on civil enforcement and one who will prosecute immigration crimes.
“Reducing violent crime, tackling the opioid crisis and enforcing immigration laws are top priorities for my office,” said U.S. Attorney Lelling. “In recent years, prosecutors working in these areas have seen significant increases in Massachusetts. This overwhelms our capacity to prosecute those who disregard the laws of our country and strains legal and law enforcement resources. Hiring five new Assistant U.S. Attorneys will pay dividends for years to come and make a discernable impact in communities across the Commonwealth.”
