June 10th, 2026 –
On June 9th, 2026 the Center for Constitutional Rights and local community groups Eye On Surveillance, VOTE, ACLU of Louisiana, the Southeast Dignity Not Detention Coalition, and Indivisible New Orleans, sent a demand letter to the New Orleans City Council detailing the numerous open meeting law violations that took place at the April 16th FQ EDD (French Quarter Economic Development District) meeting at which the Council approved a budget amendment for a dangerous police drone program in the French Quarter. The police drone program, which allocated thousands of dollars for invasive surveillance tech, has faced fierce opposition from community groups and individuals for months including thousands of emails sent to City Council asking for the program to be rejected. The letter sent yesterday demanded that City Council voluntarily rescind the April 16th vote and a new vote be held that adheres to the protections of the Open Meetings Law, which are designed to ensure the right of people to participate in the deliberations of public bodies. If City Council refuses to do so, then a lawsuit will be filed.
Community members and organizations demand fair, trustworthy, democratic processes, and community engagement that goes beyond appearances and requires real community input and power. As our political landscape, federally and state-wide, is plagued by authoritarianism, community silencing on behalf of local elected officials is unacceptable, and accountability to our local democratic processes is paramount.
Read the full letter here.
