The court took away the right to vote in local elections from New York immigrants

Immigrants living in New York will not be allowed to vote in local elections. The judge blocked this possibility on June 27. And this after New York in January became the first major city in the United States to grant the right to vote to non-citizens. CBS New York.

The law would have allowed nearly 1 million people to vote in municipal elections in the city. But the Republicans challenged the measure in court and won. This is a major blow to immigrant voting rights advocates, coming just a day before the New York primary. Just seven months ago, they gathered on the steps of City Hall to celebrate giving immigrants the right to vote, and now they have to put up with losing.

“We all emphasize how important it is to consider everyone's voice. And in doing so, we are forcing 1 million New Yorkers to remain silent in this process,” said Wennie Chin of the New York Immigration Coalition.

On the subject: Immigrants in New York will be allowed to vote in local elections

Passed last December, Local Law No. 11 gave green card immigrants, work permits, and DACA recipients the right to vote in municipal elections starting next year. But on June 27, the Richmond County Supreme Court overturned the law, saying it violated the US Constitution.

New York City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli was among a group of Republican lawmakers who sued the city over the law. They argued that this measure would affect the weight of the votes of voters with citizenship. The law could allow New York City's nearly 1 million immigrants to vote for mayor, public attorney, city councilors and borough presidents. At the same time, given the view of Republicans and Democrats on immigration, immigrants would almost certainly cast their votes for the latter. And the Republicans didn't like it, so they challenged the law.

Pay taxes - should have the right to vote

Supporters of the right to vote for immigrants argue that because they pay taxes, they should have the right to choose government.

“This is fundamentally unfair and unacceptable. I stand here to fight together to challenge this decision,” said the New Yorker, who supports immigrant suffrage.

A spokesman for the city's legal department wrote: “This is a disappointing court decision for people who appreciate bringing thousands of New Yorkers into the democratic election process. We are weighing our next steps.”