Kelly Wong, who is not even legally allowed to vote in the U.S., was sworn in on Feb. 14 by Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin during a ceremony at San Francisco City Hall after winning unanimous support from the board. The appointment of a noncitizen to city boards, commissions and advisory bodies started in 2020 after voters passed a proposal by lawmakers to remove the requirement that candidates seeking office hold U.S. citizenship.
According to local news outlet KQED, Wong is an immigrant rights advocate and a native of Hong Kong who arrived in the United States in 2019 for graduate studies.
"This appointment is a milestone for all immigrant and marginalized communities throughout San Francisco," Wong posted in her LinkedIn account on Feb. 15. "Representation matters: thousands of immigrants living in the city hold stakes in politics and there's no better way to have us be represented than to serve in leadership positions." She added that she is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of immigration status, has a seat at the table in shaping the future of the Golden Gate City.
Peskin, commending Wong's activism, said that he was very impressed by her commitment to enfranchising people who rarely vote, to educating people about the voting process, and to bring in noncitizens and get them the tools they need as they become citizens.
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Wong told the news outlet that she hopes to improve immigrant and non-English voter engagement in San Francisco and that one of her priorities would be to use resources to improve translations of voter materials. "I've seen how language and cultural barriers prevent immigrants with limited English proficiency from fully exercising their right to vote," Wong said.
The said civilian-led commission, where members have a job to oversee policy and operations for the city's Department of Elections, does not pay its member-officials, according to the report. So, Wong will continue to serve the progressive advocacy group Chinese for Affirmative Action, a non-government organization whose mission is to protect the "civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial democracy in the United States." She has been with the group since 2022.
During the ceremony, the non-citizen thanked the city's immigrant rights commissioner, Sarah Souza, who arrived in the United States as an illegal immigrant child and was the first such person in California appointed to the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee for her campaign in 2020 to change the law and allow noncitizens to serve on local commissions and advisory boards.
"Without Sarah's advocacy and perseverance, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to represent immigrant voices and contribute to shaping the future of our communities," Wong wrote in her post. "To all immigrants in SF: I hope my appointment to the Elections Commission serves as a beacon of hope, showing that change is possible and your voices matter in policymaking. If I can do it, you can too." (Related: REPLACEMENTS: The number of people pouring over the southern border each year now EXCEEDS the U.S. birth count.)
NYC appeals court declares law that would’ve allowed 800K noncitizens to vote unconstitutional
Meanwhile, in New York City, sensibility in the justice system is still prevailing as a Big Apple appeals court struck down on Feb 21, Wednesday, a controversial law that would have allowed 800,000 noncitizens to vote in municipal elections.
"We determine that this local law was enacted in violation of the New York State Constitution and Municipal Home Rule Law, and thus, must be declared null and void," Appellate Judge Paul Wooten wrote in the 3-1 majority decision.
According to the judge, the state constitution broadly refers to only citizens having the right to vote in elections, municipal as well as statewide, or for state legislative offices, citing Article IX, which states: "The elected officials of 'local governments' shall be elected by the people, which incorporates by reference the eligibility requirements for voting under article II, section 1, applying exclusively to citizens," the judge further wrote.
The decision upholds a lower court ruling issued by Staten Island Supreme Court Justice Ralph Porzio in June of 2022, which Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council had appealed. Writing for the Appellate Division's Second Department, Wooten pointed out that if non-citizens are allowed to vote, it stands to reason they could also run for mayor. He said that the council and mayor had failed to put the issue on the ballot for voters to decide.
While two other judges concurred with the ruling, Judge Lilian Wan issued a dissenting opinion. "The majority, by deeming the noncitizen voting law invalid, effectively prohibits municipalities across the state from deciding for themselves the persons who are entitled to a voice in the local electoral process," she wrote. "The majority's determination also disenfranchises nearly one million residents of the City, although its people’s duly elected representatives have opted to enfranchise those same residents."
But for Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island), there is nothing more important than preserving the integrity of the election system and the government should be working to create more trust in the elections and not less. "The right to vote is a sacred right given only to United States citizens. I hope that left-wing lawmakers stop pushing these unconstitutional and reckless measures that dilute the voices of American citizens," she added.
InvasionUSA.news has more stories about how the Biden regime is replacing Americans with illegal immigrants.
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