Birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. Denying citizenship to babies born on U.S. soil is illegal, profoundly cruel, and contrary to our values as a country.

Since September, the Trump administration has ordered over 20 lethal strikes on civilian boats near Venezuela, killing nearly 90 people in clear violation of domestic and international law. This is an egregious abuse of power with life-or-death consequences. Take action now ⤵️

A New York elementary school where most of the students are Native American is putting children – particularly those w/ disabilities – into wooden "timeout" boxes. These students deserve a safe and supportive learning environment –– not be subjected to traumatic + dehumanizing practices.

As we close out 2025, we asked notable NYers what gives them hope. Their responses are a reminder that we're not in this alone, that justice has always been a struggle, and that NY will keep fighting. Thank you for YOUR hope. We’ll be there alongside you to take on what comes our way in 2026.

Dreading the holiday dinner table? We've got you covered.

For too long, the family regulation system has been weaponized to intimidate and harass families—especially Black + Brown moms and their kids—via anonymous false reports. This bill will help protect families from unwarranted and traumatizing government intrusion into their homes and lives.

"The NY for All Act and robust investment in immigration legal services aren't partisan issues; they're human issues. Our immigrant neighbors have waited long enough for federal lawmakers to fix a broken system. They cannot wait any longer for NY to decide whose side we're on." @thenyic.bsky.social

1/ NEW: Gov. Hochul has signed the Shield 2.0 bill, which will protect repro + gender-affirming care providers who treat their patients despite the threats, as well as their patients, those seeking care, and those supporting them. Access to health care is our right, and we will always fight for it.

BREAKING: Governor Hochul has vetoed the Freedom to Read Act. At a time when right-wing extremists are trying to purge libraries nationwide, the Governor neglected to sign a bill that would have combatted censorship in NY and solidified students’ right to read free from viewpoint discrimination.

State court judges hold a ton of power in our legal system: They have the ability to take away New Yorkers’ freedom for years, or for life. Given this, any official guidance that shapes these rulings is important and should not be kept secret. Yet that’s exactly what was happening - until now:

For years, people have been raising the alarm about the culture of violence and impunity within the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). Now, thanks to a landmark settlement, we're making public 20 years of DOCCS misconduct records public for the first time:

WIN: Yesterday, the New York City Council passed the Safer Sanctuary Act, which ensures that immigration authorities cannot be allowed to operate on Rikers Island for any reason. We must keep ICE off Rikers for good and continue to bolster NYC's critical and long-standing sanctuary laws.

NYC's thousands of street vendors—most of whom are immigrants—are small business owners, neighbors, and family providers. For too long they've been denied the opportunity to work with dignity - but lifting the permit cap keeps vendors safe + builds power. Congrats @streetvendorproj.bsky.social!

WE DID IT. We passed the most significant update of NY’s sanctuary city laws in nearly a decade, and the first major piece of immigration legislation to be passed by the Council during the second Trump administration! Because we keep us safe. @nyclu.org @thenyic.bsky.social @legalaidnyc.bsky.social

As a direct result of the Trump administration’s cruel immigration policies, ICE is endangering the health & safety of pregnant people in detention. Pregnant people of all immigration statuses deserve to live in a safe and healthy environment. buff.ly/fEy0VPj

As attacks against our bodily autonomy soar to new heights, it has never been more important for @governor.ny.gov to stand up for reproductive freedom + gender-affirming care. We urge her to sign the Hospital Transparency Act, NYHIPA, Shield Law 2.0, and other critical bills. Add your name:

Zachary Ahmad w/ @nyclu.org joins us outside of @governor.ny.gov’s NYC office in our call to pass #NY4All! “We are not even one year into this federal admin. and I don’t even need to tell anyone here just how relentless has been in tearing families apart and carrying out its deportation agenda.”

This is yet another example of Syracuse's failure to take their lead water crisis seriously. The City must declare a state of emergency and take action to protect residents, now.

Good - the Gov. is right to support signing the Medical Aid in Dying Act. NYers living w/ terminal illnesses deserve the dignity to die peacefully, on their own terms, at their own time. By enacting this bill, NY will adopt a trusted medical practice that is an important option in end-of-life care.

ICE is denying immigrants under detainment their Sixth Amendment right to an attorney— removing their often only opportunity to reach their family & community. Without a lawyer, people are twice as likely to be deported, according to a study earlier this year from the American Immigration Council.

The New York City Council is considering a bill that would require the NYPD to grant direct access to bodycam footage to the CCRB, the city's police watchdog agency. The police can't be trusted to police themselves. We must keep fighting for police transparency and accountability.

I know many things are awful but here is one genuinely useful and helpful thing you can do. No matter their party, your representative needs to hear that trans people and our families are not alone and this bill is an unjustifiable and extreme threat to criminalize the health care we need to live.

They marched. They were jailed. They never stopped. #OTD in 1961 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Rev. Ralph Abernathy were arrested in Albany for protesting and demanding equality.

Just as people have the right to refuse medical treatment – even when it might extend their life – they should have the right to seek medical aid when they are dying and medicine cannot prolong their life. Governor Hochul: Sign the Medical Aid in Dying Act before time runs out ⤵️

Three years ago, we passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act into law. Since then, this landmark law has been a lifeline for countless pregnant and postpartum workers, who no longer have to choose between their jobs and staying healthy while pregnant.

Schools should be havens where students can safely explore new ideas, read stories that reflect their lives, and take a look into other worlds. The Freedom to Read Act will combat censorship in New York and solidify students’ right to read free. @governor.ny.gov must sign it into law, now.

For Chase Strangio, co-director of our LGBTQ & HIV Project, coming out as trans was a liberating experience. We’re fighting for a world where all trans people can thrive without political interference.

The government does not have authority to indefinitely detain anyone who is not a flight risk or a danger to others.

While attending a routine immigration check-in, Javier was seized by ICE and detained for 3 months, enduring extreme medical neglect. ICE's callous disregard for the health and safety of detainees like Javier is appalling. The abuse + mistreatment of immigrant New Yorkers must end.

Stay bundled, cozy, and on-message with merch from the NYCLU store! Shop holiday gifts and support our work defending civil rights and liberties - and, for a limited time, use code HOLIDAY20 for 20% off your order: shop.nyclu.org

George said it best: History has always been told by the oppressor, and book banning began when the oppressed started telling their stories. We need the Freedom to Read so that young people feel seen, heard, and valued. Governor Hochul: Sign the bill, now.

"As Trump vilifies and terrorizes immigrant New Yorkers, the FBI is spying on immigration court monitors, and the NYPD’s involvement risks both putting it on the wrong side of history and the law once again," writes NYCLU Executive Director @dlnyclu.bsky.social.

We filed an amicus brief supporting New York City’s motion to toss out the Trump administration’s unlawful, undemocratic efforts to abolish NYC’s decades-old sanctuary policies. We will never stop fighting to protect NYC's life-preserving sanctuary laws.

Congratulations to the @aclu.org @nyclu.org and @ccrjustice.org for filing this extremely important FOIA suit - complaint here: www.aclu.org/cases/foia-c...

NEW: With @aclu.org + @ccrjustice.org we're suing the Trump admin for refusing to release secret legal memos that allegedly justify their deadly boat strikes. The public deserves to know how this administration is rubber-stamping the bombing of civilians in the Caribbean Sea with no accountability.

One year ago, Robert Brooks died after he was handcuffed and brutally assaulted by correction officers at Marcy Correctional. No one should die in custody at the hands of corrections officers, who are charged with the safety and security of individuals in DOCCS’s facilities.

Today student activists, authors, educators, librarians, and activists against censorship rallied in Union Square in support of the Freedom to Read Act, a critical bill that is sitting on @governor.ny.gov’s desk. Governor: Sign the bill without further delay.

BREAKING: A federal judge ordered the government to restore Rümeysa Öztürk's SEVIS student record after it was wrongfully terminated in retaliation for exercising her freedom of speech. This allows her to fully engage with the opportunities of her PhD program.

Join us in Union Square this afternoon! @nyclu.org @aft.org @uft.org @nysut.bsky.social

Now, @maketheroadny.bsky.social discusses the fear in our communities due to the ICE kidnapping. Elected officials must take action to protect immigrant communities.

We’re at the steps of City Hall with @maketheroadny.bsky.social, @thenyic.bsky.social, and others to demand: No ICE on Rikers, ICE Out NY, & #ShutRikers We’re standing with our immigrant neighbors and fighting back to protect our communities.

BREAKING: We’ve uncovered inhumane conditions — including abusive and sexual contact — at the largest immigration detention center in the country. The new detention camp at Fort Bliss in El Paso must be shut down now.

Whether you’re an immigrant, an advocate, or an ally, knowing your rights and sharing information with others is one of the easiest ways to take action. Join us for a free webinar on 12/13 to learn about your rights and talk about things you can do to prepare yourselves and loved ones.

Win's family deserves accountability. We must end our over-reliance on police as first responders and treat New Yorkers in crisis with compassion, care, and understanding.

All New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status, have rights when interacting with the members of the National Guard and Federal Law Enforcement. These include the right to speak out, peacefully protest, and record in public – including troop activities.

We've received reports from women who were turned away from visiting their incarcerated loved ones because body scanners at NY prisons wrongfully identified their tampons as "contraband". This is sex discrimination. DOCCS must right this wrong + immediately restore these women's visitation rights.

“There’s a difference between people masking to protect against disease, more safely exercise their First Amendment rights, or follow religious practices, and agents masking to terrorize immigrant communities in secret on behalf of the government," said NYCLU Senior Policy Counsel Allie Bohm.

Thanks to AMNY & PoliticsNY for naming me on their 2025 Nonprofit Power Players list. With the @nyclu.org, this year we will work to defend New York and our democracy from the authoritarian policies of the Trump Administration, protect immigrant New Yorkers, defend free speech, and much, much more.

"CPS should not be a weapon against us, but utilized only after prevention & intervention services have been exhausted." — Elaine Smith, a parent who experienced family policing. Read her op-ed here on investing budget funding into families, not surveillance: rochesterbeacon.com/2025/12/04/m...