The executive director of NYCLU, Donna Lieberman, issued a statement condemning Columbia University's recent policy reforms. She argued that the school's concessions under pressure from the Trump administration endanger academic freedom and campus expression nationwide, reinforcing the need to protect student rights and dissenting voices.

Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, publicly condemned Columbia University's recent policy concessions—mandated by the Trump administration in exchange for restoring $400 million in funding—stating that these measures endanger academic freedom and campus expression nationwide.

On March 5, 2025, the NYCLU, alongside elected officials and immigrant rights advocates, gathered at New York City Hall to champion the city’s long-standing sanctuary policies and demand that Mayor Adams defend immigrant New Yorkers against efforts tied to President Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda.

The New York Civil Liberties Union has established a new advocacy department aimed at defending and promoting civil rights and civil liberties through grassroots organizing, public education, coalition building, online activism, and direct lobbying of lawmakers. This initiative represents a proactive and progressive effort to influence public policy and resist authoritarian practices.

The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit in the State Supreme Court against New York state and Governor Cuomo, arguing that the exclusion of farmworkers from the right to organize violates the state constitution and perpetuates discriminatory, exploitative labor conditions. The action targets an outdated provision rooted in racist policies that leaves farmworkers without essential workplace protections.

On September 5, 2023, NYCLU, in collaboration with New York Attorney General Letitia James and The Legal Aid Society, announced a landmark agreement with the NYPD to reform the policing of protests. The reforms include a new tiered response system, restrictions on the use of excessive force such as kettling, improved procedures for protecting the rights of protesters and members of the press, and the establishment of oversight mechanisms.

NYCLU, along with the ACLU, has filed a lawsuit against New York State's 2016 Ethics Reform Law. The lawsuit challenges provisions that would require disclosing donor information for non-profit organizations engaged in public advocacy, arguing that these requirements infringe on free speech and jeopardize the safety and privacy of donors.

The New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the state and Governor Cuomo, arguing that farmworkers are unjustly excluded from labor protections, including the right to organize and collectively bargain. The suit highlights longstanding inequities in labor law and seeks to extend constitutional protections to vulnerable farmworkers.