The Pro-Immigrant Case Against Noncitizen Voting
New York City will soon allow noncitizens to vote in local elections. It’s a mistake that will hurt newcomers to the country and the nation as a whole.
Focus on citizenship first.
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
I have always strongly supported immigrant rights and worked to protect immigrants, expand visa opportunities, and provide a pathway to citizenship for those who are here. A decade ago, I co-founded a bipartisan coalition of leaders to push for immigration reform, a group that recently merged with the American Immigration Council. And during my time as mayor, we created a program to help more New Yorkers apply for citizenship, which became a national model.
To me, being pro-immigrant has always meant incentivizing and rewarding citizenship — but some cities, unfortunately, are in danger of making it a less attractive proposition.