Washington, D.C. – Today, in response to reports that the Department of Justice had classified New York City, Portland, and Seattle as 'anarchist jurisdictions,' Representatives Nadler, Maloney, Meng, Velázquez, Ocasio-Cortez, Jeffries, Clarke, Engel, Meeks, Serrano, Rose, Lowey, and Espaillat issued the following statement:

"Yesterday, New Yorkers awoke to discover that our city – the greatest city in the world – had been designated as an 'anarchist jurisdiction' by the Trump Administration, at risk of losing federal funding for 'permitting anarchy, violence, and destruction.' As Members representing different parts of NYC, we walk the streets of our districts every day; we know our neighbors, our businesses, our schools, our people. We stood together as our city suffered through the worst of COVID-19, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters. And we reject this classification full stop.  The President does not have the power to target and defund individual cities, nor does he have the authority to single-handedly eliminate or change congressional appropriations. We stand together as a delegation and as New Yorkers to fight any effort to harm our city and oppose any attempt to cut funding for New York, Portland, Seattle, or any other American city the President adds to this designation."