By Christina Fan and Kevin Rincon
Published June 27, 2022
NEW YORK -- Non-citizens living in New York City will not be allowed to vote in local elections.
A judge blocked the measure Monday after New York back in January became the first city in the nation to grant those rights to non-citizens.
The law would have allowed nearly 1 million people to vote in the city's municipal elections, but as CBS2's Christina Fan reported, Republicans challenged the measure, and won.
A day before the primary election, it's a major blow for voting rights advocates. Just seven months ago, they rallied on City Hall steps to give non-citizens the right to vote. On Monday, they learned the short-lived law was defeated in court.
"We are emphasizing how important it is to emphasize your voice, and yet we continue to let 1 million New Yorkers remain silent in the process," said Wennie Chin of the New York Immigration Coalition.
Passed last December, Local Law 11 granted immigrants with green cards, work authorization, and DACA recipients the right to vote in municipal elections starting next year. But on Monday, the Richmond County Supreme Court struck down the groundbreaking expansion, saying it violated the constitution.
"The law is as clear as could possibly be," New York City Council minority leader Joe Borelli said.
Borelli was among the group of Republican lawmakers who sued the city, arguing it would change how they campaign and dilute votes.
Read more: CBSNews.com
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