Newburgh City Council Unanimously Rejects Clearview AI Facial Recognition Proposal

Dozens of Newburgh residents packed Monday night's city council meeting with a clear message: keep facial recognition out of their city. The council listened, voting unanimously to reject Resolution No. 44, a proposal by Police Chief Brandon Rola that would have authorized a one-year subscription to Clearview AI's facial recognition service.

The opposition centered on two fears that proved insurmountable: Clearview AI's documented history of privacy violations, and the prospect that federal immigration authorities could exploit the technology to racially profile and target individuals in Newburgh's communities.

Councilmember Giselle Martinez drew a careful distinction between the police department and the software it sought to use. "Specifically, with ClearView, my issue is not with our chief or with police department. It's more specifically the software and the company itself that has had a history of privacy violations as well as we can't, we don't have jurisdiction over ClearView," she said. The jurisdictional concern proved particularly significant: if Clearview AI were to share or hand over data collected through any Newburgh subscription, the city would have no legal mechanism to stop it. "If ClearView were to turn over that data, as much as we would be against it, we wouldn't be able to do anything," Martinez added.

The same session produced a second unanimous action. The council voted to reaffirm its prohibition on using City of Newburgh personnel and resources for civil immigration enforcement, and formally reaffirmed Newburgh's standing as a fair and welcoming city, a direct signal to immigrant residents that Monday's vote was not an isolated decision but part of a broader municipal commitment.

The rejection came just one day before the Hudson Valley Regional AI Summit drew more than 700 registrants to Mount Saint Mary College, a regional gathering of state officials, academics, and business leaders focused on AI's expanding role in the local economy. The contrast between that optimism and Newburgh's skepticism reflects the unresolved tension communities across the country face as law enforcement agencies seek access to AI tools that outpace existing oversight structures.

Resolution No. 44 is now dead, but the questions it surfaced remain open: what tools Newburgh police will seek next, and whether the council will establish formal guidelines before another AI proposal lands on the agenda.