On Thursday, liberal justices on New York’s highest court sided with conservatives in rejecting a law that would have granted noncitizens the right to vote. The measure, approved by the New York City Council in December 2021, would have allowed nearly 800,000 lawful permanent residents to participate in local elections. The New York Court of Appeals struck it down in a 6-1 decision.
“[I]t is plain from the language and restrictions contained in Article II that ‘citizen’ is not meant as a floor, but as a condition of voter eligibility: the franchise extends only to citizens whose right to vote is established by proper proofs and who vote by ballot,” Chief Judge Rowan Wilson wrote in the ruling.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams did not veto the bill, allowing it to become law in January 2022. Republicans and a group of voters filed a lawsuit shortly after, arguing that the state constitution prohibits noncitizens from voting, the Daily Caller reported. The state constitution stipulates in Article II that “every citizen shall be entitled to vote at every election for all officers elected by the people.” Supporters of the law argued that this does not necessarily prohibit noncitizens from voting.
“Under that interpretation, municipalities are free to enact legislation that would enable anyone to vote—including, as counsel for appellants stated during oral argument, thirteen-year-old children,” Wilson wrote.
Last month, President Donald Trump flew to North Carolina to view the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Helene, where many residents have yet to recover months later. After previously suggesting that he might withhold federal aid to Los Angeles following the massive, destructive wildfires there, a reporter asked the president what conditions the “sanctuary city” would have to meet in order to get it.
“I wanna see two things on Los Angeles – voter ID so that the people have a chance to vote – and I wanna see the water released and come down into Los Angeles and throughout the state. Those are the two things. After that, I will be the greatest president that California has ever seen.” Trump also said the water should be extended to vast swaths of farmland so that the state can become even more of an agricultural powerhouse.