The Boston City Council is considering a new resolution that would allow noncitizen immigrants in the city who are of "legal status" to vote in local elections, following a similar resolution that is in effect in Takoma Park, Maryland.
The Boston resolution was introduced by Councilwoman Kendra Lara on Tuesday and was supported by immigration advocates before being debated by the council and city election officials, according to the Boston Herald.
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"We have people who, despite not being given a voice in their local government through the ballot, have worked, sacrificed, and invested in their neighborhoods, and all people should have a say in the decisions that impact their daily lives," Lara said during the council meeting.
The move follows a similar policy change in Takoma Park, which is much smaller than Boston. Takoma Park City Clerk Jessie Carpenter told the Boston City Council that there are hundreds of registered noncitizen voters in her city who vote in the local elections. When they sign up to register in Takoma Park, they are not asked about their immigration status, just for proof of residency and legal identification. However, the city keeps track of these voters through an Excel spreadsheet, and the list is updated once the eligible noncitizens move away from the city.
Elections Commissioner Eneida Tavares said one concern the elections office had was the size difference between the cities creating a challenge for a spreadsheet like the one Carpenter uses. Tavares said they would need to create and maintain a database of thousands of names, which could cause confusion.
"Our preferred method would be to use the secretary of state's database because it's just one place where we can house everything," Tavares said. "It's easier to update voting, voter information, give voter history to voters, and everything of that nature."
Other council members in the meeting expressed concerns that noncitizens could accidentally vote in state or federal elections, which is illegal, and could thereby jeopardize their pathway to citizenship.
"If they're on a pathway to citizenship, you didn't want a mistake to happen that would put that in jeopardy because the federal government has a big black-and-white, all-or-nothing approach to these things," Councilwoman Liz Breadon said.
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The move comes as the city and state grapple with a major influx of illegal immigrants who entered the United States through the southern border. Thousands of immigrants have flooded liberal "sanctuary" cities in recent months.
Gov. Maura Healey (D-MA) has declared a "state of emergency" over the newcomers flooding the state's housing system and even activated the National Guard to help with the crisis.