Boston to consider allowing immigrants with 'legal status' to vote in municipal elections

Councilwoman Kendra Lara says that the process of obtaining U.S. citizenship is "long and expensive" and believes it is unfair that these people pay taxes and cannot elect their local representatives.

Personas esperando su turno para entrar a EEUU. — (Inmigrantes esperando para entrar a EEUU/CBP)

Published by

Israel Duro

17 de noviembre, 2023

Topics:

The Boston City Council is considering allowing immigrants with "legal status" who do not yet have U.S. citizenship to vote in municipal elections. Councilwoman Kendra Lara made this proposal because she says process to obtain nationality is "long and expensive," which prevents immigrants who have recently arrived in the city from being able to have a say in the people who will make fundamental decisions that will affect their lives.

Immigrants with legal status contribute about $2.3 billion in taxes

According to Boston.com, the proposal has a good chance of succeeding given the support from other councilmembers. Lara also highlighted immigrants' effect on the local economy. According to data from the Census Bureau, in 2021, 28.1% of residents were born outside the United States. Foreigners with legal status pay about $2.3 billion in taxes annually. Furthermore, these people represent about $6 billion of "collective purchasing power."

Though immigrants, particularly those with legal status, pay taxes and contribute to Boston’s economy, they are not able to participate in the electoral process, in what I believe is a violation of one of our foundational American principles. By moving this home rule petition forward, Boston can begin the process of making good on our promise to build a city that is for everyone.

Legal issues

However, some councilmembers warned that the initiative could create legal problems for some immigrants. For example, Michael Flaherty noted that noncitizens could mistakenly register to vote in federal or state elections, which could result in them losing their chance at citizenship. In addition, he recalled that New York City passed a similar law that conflicted with constitutional guidelines and state law.