CV NEWS FEED // The Democratic-controlled New York City Council this week petitioned the New York State Court of Appeals to unblock a controversial law that would give non-citizens the ability to vote in the Big Apple’s elections.
The New York Post reported that the law in question was “struck down as unconstitutional last month by an appellate court.”
The legislation was “passed by the City Council in late 2021 and signed into law by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio,” the Post added. The law “would have allowed 800,000 noncitizens with green cards to vote.”
In a Monday statement, City Council Spokesman Rendy Desamours claimed that the council passed the law “to enfranchise 800,000 New Yorkers who live in our city, pay taxes, and contribute to our communities.”
Desamours stated that the filing to appeal last month’s ruling “seeks a determination from the state’s highest court that the law is consistent with the State Constitution.”
“Empowering New Yorkers to participate in our local democratic process can only strengthen New York City by increasing civic engagement,” the spokesman continued. “We look forward to the Court of Appeals’ consideration of the Council’s appeal.”
Democrats have long held an overwhelming supermajority on the New York City Council. The party currently controls 45 seats to the Republicans’ six.
FOX News noted that Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, “who supported the law, has not commented about the appeal.”
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Far-left pro-immigration activists spoke up in support of the council’s appeal.
New York Immigration Coalition President Murad Awawdeh alleged that, “despite their contributions as taxpayers and community-members, many immigrant New Yorkers do not have the right to participate in local decision-making.”
Awawdeh also claimed that the present legal battle over the law “is just one more example of how Republicans are using the courts to disenfranchise Black and Brown voters across the country.”
Meanwhile, Republican Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella slammed the council for calling on the court to unblock its legislation one month after it was deemed unconstitutional.
“In plain English, the New York state constitution says only citizens have a right to vote in these elections,” Fossella noted. “The city council has no authority to do what they did. We are going to be ready to do what we can.”
According to the Post, the borough president was “one of the lawmakers who filed the legal challenge,” to the Council’s controversial voting law.
Fossella is the lone Republican leader among New York City’s five boroughs. He served in Congress from 1997 to 2009 and was previously a member of the City Council from 1994 to 1997.
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One month ago, Adams called for changes to New York City’s “sanctuary city” status following a recent uptick in crime committed by illegal migrants.
“We should not be allowing people who are repeatedly committing crimes to remain here,” the mayor said in late February. “If you commit a felony, a violent act, we should be able to turn you over to [U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE)] and have you deported.”
CatholicVote then indicated:
While campaigning for mayor in 2021, Adams said he would “protect” the city’s “sanctuary” status if voters elected him. “Yes, New York City will remain a sanctuary city under an Adams administration,” he wrote in an X (then known as Twitter) post at the time.
