A bipartisan group of lawmakers has approved a measure aimed at preventing non-citizens from participating in local elections in Washington, D.C.
On Tuesday, the House passed HR 884, a bill that nullifies the 2022 Local Referendum Amendment Act and disallows non-citizens from voting in elections held within the District. The bill saw a vote of 266 to 148, with a notable number of 56 Democrats supporting this Republican-led initiative.
“Today, we’ve acted to uphold the integrity of our electoral system by passing my bill to block non-citizen voting in D.C. elections,” stated the bill’s sponsor, a Republican from Texas. He further emphasized, “Voting against this legislation means supporting a shift in power away from legitimate voters.”
HR 884 specifically aims to overturn the 2022 law that had approved local voting rights for non-citizens, including green card holders and undocumented immigrants, starting in 2024. The D.C. Council had initially passed this local measure almost unanimously in October 2022.
Republicans have long criticized local measures that allow non-citizen participation, arguing that it undermines the voting strength of American citizens. In D.C., approximately 90,000 immigrants reside. According to data from the Migration Policy Institute, this demographic has been a point of contention.
Washington is also labeled a sanctuary jurisdiction, which means it has policies that restrict local law enforcement from fully cooperating with federal immigration authorities. A group focused on immigration issues pointed out that this labeling is tied to the limitations on detaining immigrants based on federal requests.
“The radical D.C. Council has permitted not just any non-citizen but even illegal foreigners to cast votes in local elections,” the Texas lawmaker commented.
He added, “It’s problematic that they are encouraging non-citizens to vote for key positions like mayors and attorneys general. These local elections shape vital decisions, and allowing non-citizen votes raises significant concerns about the direction of local policies.”
Pfluger had earlier introduced a similar bill that passed the House in May 2024 but failed to advance in the then-Democrat-controlled Senate. With Republicans now in charge of both chambers, as well as Trump expected to return to the presidency, there may be a greater chance of a successful repeal of D.C.’s voting laws.
This vote comes shortly after the House approved the U.S. Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which mandates verifying state citizenship before individuals can register for federal elections, along with removing non-citizens from voter rolls. Only a handful of Democrats crossed party lines to support this bill.
The Trump administration has consistently taken steps to impede non-citizen voting.
In March, the president issued Executive Order 14248 aimed at preserving the integrity of elections and protecting the voting system from improper influences and errors. A few months later, a collaboration with the Social Security Agency was announced to better check citizenship and immigration status, intended to further reduce non-citizen voting in U.S. elections.
