House blocks DC's noncitizen voting law, 52 Democrats side with GOP amid border tensions

Fifty-two House Democrats joined all Republicans Thursday to repeal Washington, DC's law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections.

The number of Democrats voting for the measure, H.R. 192, was 10 more compared to how many voted for a similar measure last year.

"Why is it in our country, the only one dumb enough to offer incentive after incentive after incentive to the millions of illegal immigrants pouring over our border every single year?" Rep. Jeff Van, R-N.J., questioned during a floor speech.

"Another sorry Republican effort to continue to carry on this MAGA, baseless narrative about noncitizens affecting the outcome of federal elections," said Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., during a floor speech.

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Noncitizens can vote in certain municipalities in California, Maryland, and Vermont, according to Ballotpedia.

Meanwhile, to modernize the documentation process of the millions of migrants here illegally, the Biden Administration is preparing to roll out a controversial pilot program this summer giving out federal ID cards to migrants.

"The idea the federal government would provide valid IDs to people we know are here illegally is ridiculous. If we know they are here illegally we should be deporting them," said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. "It is a further step towards legitimizing what has been an absolute travesty: nine million illegals crossing the border just in the last three years."

Sen. Hawley introduced a bill to block the program, arguing it will only encourage more illegal migration.

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, but proposed legislation to strengthen that law is making its way through Congress.

The SAVE Act would require states to obtain proof of citizenship, when registering an individual to vote, and to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls.

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Editor's Note: Sinclair National Correspondent Kayla Gaskins contributed to this report.