New York won't backfill Statue of Liberty operations during 2025 shutdown

The federal government shutdown began Oct. 1, 2025. The National Park Service manages the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Park staffing was reduced by furloughs on day one.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Oct. 1, 2025, that 🗽New York will not use state funds to keep the Statue or Ellis Island running if federal employees are furloughed. She said, 'We're not able to backfill this.'.

During the 2018–2019 shutdown, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo authorized about $1.5 million in state funds to keep the Statue and Ellis Island open from Dec. 22, 2018, to Jan. 14, 2019. That is not the policy this time.

The NPS contingency guidance issued around Sept. 30, 2025, directs superintendents to keep roads, trails and open-air memorials generally accessible, but it allows closure of areas that cannot be protected with limited law enforcement. Fee-collecting parks may use retained fee revenue for basic services.

Pre-pandemic visitation averaged roughly 4.36 million visitors annually from 2015–2019. Post-pandemic yearly totals have been lower and variable; 4.5 million is a 2016/high-season figure, not a current guaranteed annual total.

Park-level closure decisions rest with local superintendents. That decentralization produces uneven visitor experiences and varied operational choices during funding lapses.