ACLU-NJ Calls for FY27 State Budget that Prioritizes Equity and Justice

The ACLU of New Jersey today urged Gov. Sherrill and the New Jersey Legislature to prioritize equity and justice for all New Jerseyans in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget.

The ACLU-NJ is calling for budget action in the following priority areas:

• Ensure universal representation for detained New Jerseyans by increasing funding for the Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative (DDDI) to $20 million to meet the increased demand for and cost of legal services. At current funding levels – and given the quadrupling of detention capacity in New Jersey – DDDI is only able to offer full representation to 18 percent of those seeking assistance.

• Ensure law schools can continue to represent tenants facing eviction, shape housing justice in New Jersey, and educate the next generation of attorneys by fully funding the Housing Justice Project with $2.5 million, a portion of which will be used to reinstate funding for the Rutgers-Camden program denied funding in FY26.

• Continue to reinvest in communities harmed by marijuana criminalization by ensuring community reinvestment dollars from cannabis revenue are used to fund social services, educational support, harm reduction, housing and food access, economic development, and other priorities that help communities grow and thrive. ACLU-NJ also urges the creation of an inclusive and participatory process to seek input from community members about how the revenue should be used, as well as an online dashboard to share where funds are ultimately allocated and spent.

The following statement can be attributed to ACLU-NJ Campaign Strategist Ami Kachalia:

“A state’s budget directly reflects its values and most pressing priorities. Funding cannot change the past, but deliberate investment in repairing harm can build a more equitable future for all.

“New Jerseyans have been clear that they want lawmakers to champion racial and social justice to truly invest in the justice, safety, and well-being of our communities – and create a better New Jersey for everyone who calls our state home. That includes increasing funding for the Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative, fully funding the Housing Justice Project, and continuing to reinvest in communities harmed by marijuana criminalization.

“As New Jersey, and the nation, responds to changes in federal policies that increasingly target community members and place them at risk, we hope Gov. Sherrill takes this opportunity to prioritize rights and justice for all in her first budget address. It is time for New Jersey to put its money where its morals are.”