Protect NYC from Trump

The message:

2026 is not just the start of a new mayoral administration in New York City, but also of a new City Council session. But before that new City Council term begins, there’s still critical work to be done to strengthen civil rights protections for city residents.

With threats continuing to emerge from a Trump administration intent on stifling dissent, emboldening biased and abusive policing, supercharging deportations, expanding invasive surveillance, and dismantling social safety nets, New York City needs to do everything in its power to meet the moment.

Take Action:

Tell the City Council to protect New York City from Trump.

The recipients:

Speaker Menin, Majority Leader Abreu, Majority Whip Hanks, Public Safety Chair Feliz, Immigration Chair Encarnacion, Technology Chair De La Rosa, General Welfare Chair Hudson

A collage image of a police officer, and two protest signs that say "Hands off free speech" and "ICE out of NYC"

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Your Message

Subject Don’t let the Council’s term end before passing these bills

As the Council’s 2024-2025 term approaches its end, time is running out to strengthen civil rights protections for New Yorkers. The threats from the Trump administration are continuing to grow, jeopardizing New Yorkers’ rights to protest, to be free from biased and abusive policing, to remain in their communities, to be free from biased and faulty surveillance technologies, and to have a functioning and supportive social safety net.

The City Council has a number of bills that respond to these threats and that meet this moment. I’m writing to ask you not to end your term before passing them into law.

Message Body

1. Protect the Right to Protest

The NYPD’s policing of protest has long been a source of criticism and litigation – and the Strategic Response Group (SRG), has been the notoriously violent face of an overly aggressive and abusive response to protests and demonstrations. The Communities United to Reject Brutality (CURB) Act will protect the right to protest by reining in the NYPD’s most abusive tactics. The CURB Act will prohibit the SRG’s deployment to protests and ban the unit’s most notorious and unwarranted tactics from being used by any NYPD officer at protests going forward.

2. Delete the Racially-Biased Gang Database

The NYPD maintains a vast and unaccountable database of thousands of people who the NYPD claims are members of gangs. While the NYPD claims this is an evidence-based tool, the criteria for including someone in the database are vague and ripe for abuse. These flawed practices have led to a database that is 99 percent Black and Latinx boys and men and that subjects them to a heightened risk of surveillance and profiling. Intro. 460 would put an end to these harms by requiring the NYPD to abolish this database.

3. Strengthen Protections for Immigrant New Yorkers

Our city has long-established sanctuary laws that keep local law enforcement from colluding with ICE. But officers don’t always follow these laws. When violations happen and people are wrongfully funneled into ICE custody, there is no clear way for those people and their families to seek justice. The New York City Trust Act (Intro. 209) would create a path for people who have been wronged by violations of our sanctuary laws to have their day in court and hold the city accountable.

4. Ban Biometric Surveillance

Biometric surveillance technologies enable unprecedented spying powers that are dangerous both when they work as advertised and when they don’t. These technologies are notoriously inaccurate and racially-biased, and misidentifications have led to harassment, removals from establishments, arrests, and even jail time. Intro. 213 would prohibit places or providers of public accommodation from using biometric surveillance like facial recognition to identify and spy on their customers. Intro. 428 would prohibit owners of multiple dwellings from installing, activating, or using biometric recognition to identify and spy on tenants and their guests.

5. Provide Internet Access to People in Shelters

Lack of internet access severely disadvantages homeless people, who already face considerable barriers to searching for and obtaining employment, permanent housing, health care, and government benefits. Intro. 290 would help close the digital divide for shelter residences and increase opportunities for education, employment, and housing by guaranteeing access to high-speed internet. The Council must pass this important measure and include important protections to safeguard people’s personal information, enshrine net neutrality principles, and guarantee reliable connection speeds.

I am counting on you to pass these bills to protect our city from Trump and to strengthen and safeguard civil rights in New York City before the end of this Council’s term in office.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]

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