New York Moves to Invalidate American Citizenship

December 6, 2021

By Dale Wilcox

While many Americans have been focused on the endless carnage the Biden administration has wrought on our border, New York City is on the verge of passing radical legislation to give migrants the right to vote in city elections.

The proposed bill would allow roughly 800,000 non-citizens to vote as long as they have legal status or a work visa. The legislation is expected to be voted on next month and has the support of incumbent mayor Bill de Blasio, as well as incoming mayor Eric Adams, whose framing of the bill has been misguided, if not intentionally deceptive. 

“We cannot be a beacon to the world and continue to attract the global talent, energy and entrepreneurship that has allowed our city to thrive for centuries if we do not give immigrants a vote in how this city is run and what our priorities are for the future,” Adams said.

Adams’ point is nonsensical because studies have demonstrated that the vast majority of migrants who come to the U.S. are economic migrants. Most of these migrants come from poor countries, and simply want to live and work in a prosperous one. In other words, most migrants are attracted to America because of our wealth, not our civics.

It’s true that many non-Americans have admiration for our system of self-government and our way of life, but Adams’ comments about attracting migrants by immediately letting them vote is nothing more than an attempt to distract from his radical policies with flowery language. In reality, legislation like the one destined to pass in New York is a reward for economic migrants, many of whom do not pay taxes, drive down wages, and are not in a position to contribute anything to the U.S. economy.

It also gives the migrants a chance to hold up their end of the unwritten and unstated illegal immigration pact that exists between themselves and the Democratic party. For years, Democrats have enticed migrants to come to the U.S. with promises of jobs and access to social programs, and ultimately citizenship. In return, most of these migrants dutifully vote for Democrats and increase the power of the far-left in American life. In other words, the purpose of legislation like this is to solidify the political power of Democrats, not to attract migrants for moral or economic purposes.

I have previously written that the purpose of anti-border policies is to subvert democracy itself, something the proposed legislation in New York perfectly encapsulates. Many Democrats are resentful of the constitutional system which limits its power, and an electorate which finds itself increasingly repulsed by the excesses of the  radical Left.

They believe that importing as many migrants as possible will reconstruct the electorate in a way that will usher in a permanent Democratic majority. Anti-borders groups deny this obvious reality, but it is clear that the Left now views America’s immigration system as a means to an end, and that end is permanent electoral majorities.

From Joe Biden to Eric Adams, Democrats across the country are moving to dismantle our immigration system, and chip away at the foundations of American citizenship. Adams has received widespread praise for his relatively moderate positions on certain issues, but marches in lockstep to the party line when it comes to immigration. In addition to this toxic legislation he has endorsed, Adams has condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and has pledged that New York will remain a sanctuary city under his leadership.

The proposed legislation in New York is grotesque for many reasons, but it’s most destructive impact will be diluting the votes of American citizens who live in the city. Americans living in New York will no longer control the outcomes of elections in their city, and that is a travesty.

New York is not the first city to allow migrants to vote, and it won’t be the last, but this does feel like a dark turning point. America’s most prominent city is putting the sovereignty of its citizens on the chopping block with the enthusiastic support of one of the Democratic party’s rising stars. That should be an ominous sign for all of us who care about borders, sovereignty, and the rule of law.

Dale L. Wilcox is executive director and general counsel at the Immigration Reform Law Institute , a public interest law firm working to defend the rights and interests of the American people from the negative effects of mass migration.

Also published at: Dale L. Wilcox, New York Moves to Invalidate American Citizenship, Townhall, December 6, 2021.