NYCLU On Gov. Hochul’s Latest State Budget Announcement

ALBANY – This morning, Governor Hochul held a press conference about her latest proposals for the FY 2027 state budget. Despite this announcement, there is no formal budget deal and legislators still have time to weigh in on key policies impacting New Yorkers’ civil rights and liberties. In response, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) released the following statement:

“As ICE terrorizes immigrant communities and with New Yorkers taking to the streets en masse to defend our democracy, New York lawmakers must not miss this moment to adequately protect New Yorkers from the dangers of the Trump regime.

“It is unfortunate that such important legislation should be announced with so few concrete details. But based on what the Governor has implied, it is appropriate to note that her “Local Cops, Local Crimes” isn’t near enough — and leaves immigrant New Yorkers vulnerable to ICE terror and Trump’s mass deportation machine. Her no-speech zones will block huge swaths of our state from protest, violate New Yorkers’ rights to speak out, and open the door to excessive and biased policing. And her rollbacks to the CLCPA are an affront to Black and Brown New Yorkers who have long borne the brunt of environmental racism and pollution.

“This fight and this budget are not over. While there’s still time, lawmakers should act to uphold New York values, fight for immigrant communities, and defend free speech.”

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