A United States Representative for the District of Columbia, Oye Owolewa, has criticised Congress for revoking the laws that allowed non-citizen immigrants the right to vote in local elections.
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Owolewa also condemned the revocation of the law that prohibited the D.C police union from bargaining on officer discipline.
The Democrat politician registered his grievances over the overturning of the Public Safety Reform and Accountability Act in a press statement released on Thursday.
lawmakers voted on Tuesday to repeal a pair of D.C laws that granted non-citizens rights to vote in local elections and barred the police union from negotiating disciplinary policies.
The Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer, representing Kentucky, said, “The right to vote is a defining privilege of American citizenship. Diluting that right by extending it to non-citizens, whether here legally or illegally, undermines the voice of D.C residents.”
Reacting to the development, Owolewa said the Congress votes compromised the will of non-citizens.
He said, “This is a direct attack on D.C’s rights to govern itself and a slap in the face to our immigrant communities who contribute to this city every single day. Instead of addressing national challenges, Congress continues to undermine the will of D.C residents who have fought hard for progress on public safety and inclusion.”
The Nigerian-American stated that Washington D.C housed thousands of immigrants who deserved representation in local decisions that impacted their daily lives, vowing to get justice for them.
“We will not be silent. We will not back down. I will continue fighting for D.C. statehood, local autonomy, and policies that uplift, not silence our diverse communities,” Owolewa added.
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