FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2025
Contact: press@socialists.nyc, (917) 261-5939
New York State DSA Chapters Join IONY, Lt. Gov, & State Legislators to Call on Governor Hochul to Convene a Special Session
NEW YORK, NY – Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) chapters across New York have launched a statewide campaign to demand that Governor Kathy Hochul call a special legislative session to defend New Yorkers from Trump’s federal budget scam. NYC-DSA, Mid-Hudson Valley DSA, and Capital District DSA are mobilizing to protect immigrants’ rights and working-class New Yorkers’ access to healthcare and nutritional programs by ending state and municipal collaboration with ICE and taxing the rich.
In the coming weeks, DSA members around the state will knock doors, table, and phonebank to speak with New Yorkers about the devastating impacts of federal budget cuts and immigration enforcement on our state, and the responsibility of the Governor to fight back. Already, hundreds of DSA volunteers have attended tabling events, persuading more than 1,500 New Yorkers to send letters to Gov. Hochul’s office demanding she stand up to Trump’s attacks.
“The Trump-Vance administration is stealing resources away from the public programs that benefit all of us, and funneling money to fund ICE and fill the pockets of billionaires. But New York has the power to lead the fight against fascism and for affordability and human rights,” said Leanna Zilles, co-chair of Mid-Hudson Valley DSA. “To do so, Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie must call a special session today.”
Building off a slew of electoral victories in recent years, which brought several socialists into the State Senate and Assembly for the first time, DSA chapters across New York want the representatives they put in office to have a chance to take decisive action now against Trump’s assault on public programs and civil rights. That can only happen if Hochul calls legislators back to Albany this fall. State Senators Jabari Brisport, Julia Salazar, Kristen Gonzalez, and State Assemblymembers Emily Gallagher, Marcela Mitaynes, Sarahana Shrestha, Claire Valdez, and Phara Souffrant Forrest have all joined NYC-DSA, Mid-Hudson Valley DSA, and Capital District DSA’s call for a special session.
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which New York Republican congressional representatives helped pass last month, New York stands to lose $23 billion in federal funding, including $13 billion in direct health care cuts and $1.4 billion in SNAP benefits for hungry children and adults. Additionally, our immigrant family members, neighbors, and friends will only see more terror with ICE’s funding exploding to $28 billion a year, on top of another $45 billion for funding new detention centers.
“We cannot wait for relief from Trump’s Big Bullsh*t Bill, and Governor Kathy Hochul has the tools to address this crisis,” said Grace Mausser, co-chair of New York City DSA. “There are bills on the table ready to be passed, but Democratic leadership so far has refused to take action. Taxing the rich and ending all cooperation with ICE is what defending New York and standing up to Trump looks like.”
The first wave of these cuts will take effect by January and balloon in April, but legislators will not return to Albany for months. The people of New York State cannot wait until state legislators convene next year for relief. There is real, legislative work that can be done NOW to fund the New York we deserve and protect immigrant families. NYC-DSA, Mid-Hudson Valley DSA, and Capital District DSA are calling on Governor Hochul to convene a Special Session to tax millionaires and billionaires by passing New York for All (S2235 Gounardes / A3506 Reyes) and end state and local collaboration with ICE by passing Dignity Not Detention (S316 Salazar / A4181 Reyes).
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ABOUT NYC-DSA: New York City Democratic Socialists is the local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America—the largest socialist organization in the United States with over 85,000 members. NYC-DSA is run by its 10,000+ members and activists who are working together to build a democratic socialist organization in the five boroughs.