Across our country, human rights protections are under attack. Crucial anti-discrimination legal standards have been narrowed. Agencies that once protected people are pulling away from enforcement. Americans of every background and identity are being sent a clear, chilling message: your rights are not a priority.
But on this International Human Rights Day, the New York State Division of Human Rights is sending a different message: not in New York. As one of the nation’s leading human rights enforcement agencies, we’re doubling down on our mission to protect you from discrimination, hate, and bias and doing what justice demands—making the path to defending civil rights clearer, faster, and more accessible than ever. No New Yorker will be left to defend their rights alone.
In New York State, we have nation-leading civil rights protections enshrined in our state constitution and Human Rights Law —and we make sure those protections actually mean something. Anyone who believes they have experienced discrimination in New York State can report it to us. Reporting discrimination to the Division of Human Rights is free, and nobody needs an attorney to submit a report or file a complaint. If we find discrimination has occurred, we can order violators of the law to pay fines and penalties, change their policies, reverse discriminatory decisions, and more.
But having rights on paper means little if people can’t exercise those rights in their everyday lives. That’s why we’ve spent the past year rebuilding, expanding, transforming, and modernizing how people across the state can report discrimination and seek justice.
In the Summer of 2025, we launched New York State’s first-ever civil rights call center, where trained staff now answer New Yorkers’ calls and help them file reports of discrimination with our agency in real time, and in multiple languages. All it takes is one call to (844) 697-3471. We also implemented a new and improved online discrimination reporting form, making it easier for New Yorkers to file reports of discrimination from home, their phone, their community library, or anywhere they access the internet.
We didn’t end there—we added dozens of new investigators and staff throughout the state, had internal and external experts provide all our staff enhanced training to bolster efficiency and thoroughness in the resolution of discrimination complaints, and have delivered for New Yorkers seeking support and services in their time of need.
The Division’s commitment to protecting human rights for all New Yorkers has been reflected in impactful enforcement actions taken this year yielding robust settlements and fines. Recently, the Division fined a housing provider $55,000 after filing a complaint regarding a sign in their building lobby encouraging reports to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) based only on tenants’ national origin.
The Division also recently announced a $40,000 settlement in a complaint filed by a fair housing organization that alleged a housing provider was discriminating against rental applicants because they planned to use a housing voucher to pay rent. Under the terms of the agreement, the housing provider agreed to actively assist in placing ten people with rental subsidies into residential housing each year for the next three years.
And all of this has been made possible thanks to record investments from Governor Kathy Hochul and the Legislature. Since taking office in 2021, Governor Hochul has been consistently committed to investing in the Division’s work and has more than doubled our agency’s annual budget, helping ensure that we have the resources we need to make our agency stronger than ever at a time when our communities need us most.
We’re committed to ensuring that these transformations are felt in every corner of the state, from our cities to our rural communities because our work yields real, impactful results for people who have faced discrimination. During the last fiscal year alone, the Division secured more than $10 million for New Yorkers who filed complaints with our agency after experiencing discrimination.
Finally, as part of our attempt to root out discrimination before it even happens in communities across the State, we’ve expanded our regional outreach efforts through our Hate and Bias Prevention Unit—engaging with partners and connecting with communities from Buffalo to Brooklyn and beyond. Whether you’re a farmworker in Genesee County, a trans student in a suburban school district, or a person living with a disability in New York City—we are here to respond to hate, bias, and discrimination.
While Americans across the country may continue to feel anxiety about the state of current events, please know that New York State will never waiver in its commitment to protecting you and your human rights. Here in New York, your voice and your experience always matter—and we’re committed to making sure you feel as such. Happy International Human Rights Day; the Division remains ready to serve you in a time of need.
