Socialist LA city councilmembers move to give noncitizens the vote in local elections

Los Angeles City Councilmembers Hugo Soto-Martinez and Ysabel Jurado, both Democratic Socialists, have introduced a proposal asking voters to grant the City Council authority to allow noncitizens to vote in municipal elections. The measure, released on Wednesday, would extend voting rights to foreign nationals in races for mayor, city council, and the Los Angeles Board of Education, the LA Times reported.

Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections; however, states may set their own election laws. It's unclear if the proposed legislation applies to all noncitizens, including foreign nationals unlawfully residing in the United States, also known as illegal immigrants.
 

"After my parents immigrated here from Mexico, they worked hard, paid taxes, and raised their kids in our public schools, but for decades they had no say in decisions shaping their community until they became citizens," Soto-Martinez told the paper, explaining why he introduced the proposal. He framed the effort as support for "undocumented" immigrants amid the Trump administration's nationwide crackdown on illegal migration.

Los Angeles has an estimated population of more than 1 million illegal immigrants residing in the city, according to data. The proposal would make LA the largest city in the US to extend voting rights to foreign nationals.

Critics of the proposal, such as Ira Mehlman, a spokesperson for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said it "undermines the whole concept of citizenship, and what it means to be a member of American society."

Mehlman said Los Angeles should not allow anyone to "just show up from that outside and have an equal voice in how the city is run," adding, "That is a privilege and a right that is reserved for citizens."

Additionally, some Democrats are not too keen on the measure. Dylan Kendall, Soto-Martinez's primary challenger, criticized the legislation on fears that it could be another way for "Trump's ICE brigade" to "track, target, and kidnap undocumented people."

The proposal now heads to the city council's rules committee for consideration. If approved, it would appear on the November 3 ballot for a vote.