In December 2021, after a long and hard battle that sought to ensure that non-citizen New Yorkers, who have immigration papers such as Green Cards, could vote in municipal elections to elect positions such as Mayor, councilors and other public positions, the Big Apple approved the restoration of that right to more than 900,000 residents.
And although leaders and activists celebrated with great emotion, the party soon faded after Republican politicians who believe that voting should be a right only for citizens, filed a lawsuit so that the law did not see the light, and this Wednesday the court manifested itself, burying the municipal law, which generated much disappointment and harsh criticism among defenders of immigrant communities.
While opponents of the rule now celebrate, warning that the City Council and the last Administration overstepped their bounds by granting an exclusive right to citizens, grassroots organizations and political leaders affirmed that the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York with its determination to repeal New York City’s municipal voting law, limits democracy.
“While we are still reviewing the decision and its impact on immigrant New Yorkers, the lawsuit remains another shameful attempt by xenophobic Republicans who would disenfranchise residents rather than promote a more inclusive and participatory democracy,” said Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, an organization that promoted the initiative, warning that the municipal vote must be protected for residents who contribute to the city’s culture and economy. “Immigrant New Yorkers deserve a say in how their local government runs and how they spend their tax dollars, and we remain committed to ensuring the expansion of voting rights.”
César Ruiz, from the organization LatinoJustice PRLDEF, rejected the decision of the New York high court, which, according to him, ignores the contribution of the immigrant community to the city.
“We are dismayed by the decision, which will have consequences and attacks the very core of our representative democracy. The voting rights extended by Local Law 11 presented an opportunity to remedy the contradiction between calling so many immigrant workers essential, asking them to risk their lives to keep the city going, and at the same time denying them a voice in the local government that takes vital decisions about their lives,” said the defender, who added that they hope to take future actions to continue fighting for the protection of the vote of residents of the Big Apple. “LatinoJustice and our co-counsel continue to support our clients in the face of a difficult and disconcerting decision issued by the court. “We will continue our review alongside our clients as we consider next steps.”
Susan Stamler, executive director of United Neighborhood Houses, also joined the voices of protest against the court’s actions and stressed that ways must be found so that immigrants can be valued and heard in the city’s political decisions.
“We are deeply disappointed by the Court of Appeals’ decision regarding Local Law 11. United Neighborhood Houses has supported expanding the right to vote in municipal elections to immigrants for more than a decade, and will continue to support this law for the rest of the appeals process,” said the activist. “We must ensure that more New Yorkers have a voice in what happens in their neighborhoods, and we cannot allow this verdict to silence the voices of immigrant New Yorkers.”
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, a Republican, on the other hand, was in favor of the court’s determination and said it is the right thing to do.
“Fortunately, common sense prevails in New York thanks to the decision reached by the Second Judicial Department of the Court of Appeals,” said the Republican politician. “The New York State Constitution is clear that only citizens can vote in local elections. “It is simply irresponsible and absurd to extend this right to non-citizens.”
The Republican congresswoman for Staten Island and Brooklyn, Nicole Malliotakis, spoke in the same vein, throwing darts at the progressive legislators who promoted the law and not only reminded them that the right to vote should be only for American citizens, but that She said she was hopeful that politicians whom she called left-wing “will stop promoting unconstitutional measures” that will not be well received.
“I am pleased to see that the Court of Appeals supports us in Mayor Adams’ appeal and upholds the lower court’s ruling nullifying non-citizen voting in New York City. There is nothing more important than preserving the integrity of our electoral system and, in the current era, the government should work to generate more confidence in our elections, not less confidence,” said the New York politician.