Lawmakers highlighted how Trump cuts and federal aggression has undermined public safety
City Hall, NY – Today, the New York City Council held a press conference alongside faith leaders and advocates to tell President Trump that a deployment of the military and militarized teams of federal law enforcement is unnecessary and unwelcome in New York City and would undermine public safety and the city’s economy. In recent months, the Trump administration has sent state National Guard troops and federal forces to patrol neighborhoods and target residents in several Democratic-led cities. While announcing these federal deployments, the President has consistently threatened to take similar action in New York City. In Washington D.C., the deployment of military and federal law enforcement personnel has had a negative impact on small business foot traffic and local economic activity. Since federal raids began in California, unemployment has increased and business owners have decried the loss of construction and farm labor. Elected officials warned at the press conference that already lowered expected levels of tourism this year could be further depressed by attempts at a federal takeover of the city and stifle the city and nation’s economy.
Photos and video from the event can be found here.
Lawmakers also denounced the recent ICE raid on Canal Street that resulted in the detainment of several street vendors to 26 Federal Plaza, where New Yorkers have been held in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions. Tuesday’s federal action represented one of the first overt displays of federal aggression in New York City streets. A recent raid on an apartment building in Chicago demonstrated federal agents’ disregard for the homes and safety of residents as many returned to find their personal belongings on the floor and apartments damaged.
Despite claiming deployment of troops and federal agents is aimed to address crime concerns, the Trump administration has continued to cut funding for public safety. Council Members raised attention to the billions in funding that was cut by the Trump Administration, including hundreds of millions in Department of Justice grants allocated to localities for crime prevention, victim services, and recidivism reduction programs. The Trump administration also planned to eliminate nearly $200 million earmarked for New York’s anti-terrorism only to reverse it after pushback.
“New York City does not want or need a military or federal occupation,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “For months now, the Trump Administration has been attacking our city in ways that undermine public safety and working-class families. This has only weakened our local communities and economy by disrupting our neighborhoods and their small business corridors – all for politics. This week, Trump’s ICE descended upon Chinatown, creating chaos and arresting street vendors. These actions make us collectively less safe. True public safety looks like investing in our communities, not cutting funding from crime victims, children’s education, or health care as Trump has been doing. New Yorkers want a safe and affordable city, and we are united in demanding that Trump keep his hands off New York City.”
“Federal militarization is not public safety,” said Majority Leader Amanda Farias. “The very idea that New York needs federal intervention reveals more about the President’s insecurities than any safety statistic could ever warrant. Deploying military forces into our neighborhoods undermines the progress we continue to build through accountability, housing, behavioral health care, and harm reduction — the very strategies that prevent crisis and sustain stability. Leadership demands vision, restraint, and moral intelligence — the discipline to govern through empathy and evidence rather than fear. What is being offered instead is provocation and grievance. There is no need for military intervention in New York City. New York will continue to lead with integrity and conviction, proving that a city rooted in trust and dignity will always outlast the negative impacts made by this Administration’s fear mongering tactics.”
“The federal government has no place turning our neighborhoods into militarized zones,” said Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers. “New Yorkers, particularly communities of color, have long borne the brunt of heavy-handed enforcement. We will not stand by while this administration threatens to bring that same chaos to our city. New York is strong, diverse, and united, and we will always defend our communities, our faith institutions, and our freedoms from federal intimidation.”
“The recent federal deployments of military and law enforcement in cities across the United States have not made these communities safer, rather they have escalated tensions, fueled fear and eroded trust,” said Council Member Sandra Ung. “We have one of the finest police departments in the world and strong local leadership, we don’t need the federal government inserting itself into our neighborhoods, intimidating our residents, and disrupting the balance of trust we’ve worked so hard to build. In large immigrant communities, like the one I represent in Flushing, this kind of heavy-handed federal presence would have an especially chilling effect. Real public safety comes from trust, not from force or fear.”
“As co-chair of the Women’s Caucus in the first woman-majority Council in over 370 years of NYC’s history, we’ve been proud to champion priorities that uplift women,” said Council Member Carmen De La Rosa. “Now, Trump is regressing hard-earned protections for women across the country. Trump’s cruel policies and weaponization of the military do not make us safer; in fact, they put our lives at risk every day as women die due to abortion bans and working-class Americans suffer under the weight of rising unaffordability, coupled with difficult job markets. “NYC does not need more guns or militarization – we need funding for schools, for hospitals, for childcare, for housing. If Trump won’t give us that, then we surely don’t need his National Guard or ICE here.”
“Donald Trump’s threats to send the National Guard into New York City are a dangerous attempt to intimidate and divide our city – and a deeply irresponsible effort to weaponize law enforcement for political gain,” said Council Member Eric Dinowitz. “New Yorkers do not need or want the federal government deploying law enforcement or National Guard members on our streets. We will not be bullied, and we will never allow fearmongering to dictate how we live or how we govern in our city.”
“New Yorkers will not stand by while masked men with no regard for our laws or our rights patrol our streets,” said Council Member Jennifer Gutierrez. “We’ve seen what happens when federal forces descend on cities — violence, fear, and chaos. We’re sending a clear message: New York City governs itself, and we will protect our people from unlawful occupation or intimidation.”
“We have seen in other cities how the deployment of military or federal law enforcement forces against residents has caused fear, instability, and lasting harm,” said Council Member Rita Joseph. “Our city’s strength lies in collaboration, not confrontation. Trump’s actions have done nothing but place families, children, and even our school communities directly in harm’s way, undermining the trust that is essential to public safety. I remain committed to fighting for the protection and the rights of individuals in our city. We will stand up for our city, for our values, and for every community that calls New York home.”
“Donald Trump has made it clear that New York City is a target for militarization and ICE mass deportation plans, attacking the very diversity, culture, and spirit that make us the greatest city in the world,” said Council Member Shekar Krishnan. “As Trump clings to power and is obsessed with making immigrants the enemy, New Yorkers know that this hate has no place in our city. That’s why the New York City Council has been steadfast in putting protections into place and sounding the alarm, passing my legislation to protect immigrant street vendors and increasing funding for immigration legal services in the city’s budget.”
“New York is a city built by immigrants, strengthened by their resilience, and defined by our shared humanity. We do not need chaos and disorder; we need fairness and justice. Trump’s raids have no place in our city, no place in our democracy, and no place in our vision for a country that upholds dignity and due process for all,” said Council Member Farah N. Louis. “New Yorkers will not be bullied. We will resist this extremism, we will protect our immigrant neighbors, and we will continue to stand on the side of justice and humanity, no matter who sits in the White House.”
“We have seen the harm that federal militarization has inflicted on cities across this nation, and we will not allow those destabilizing tactics to endanger New Yorkers,” said Council Member Kevin C. Riley. “The Trump Administration’s willingness to deploy force against its own people is unacceptable, and we condemn any attempt to use our communities as political battlegrounds. In a city as diverse and resilient as ours, public safety must be built through trust, accountability, and investment not intimidation. A federal deployment would only undermine the progress we work toward every day with our residents, clergy, and local partners. New Yorkers know what our neighborhoods need, and we will always stand together to protect our people, our freedoms, and the stability of our city.”
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