(STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- It could be an interesting day at Boston City Hall, as the City Council holds a hearing on the idea of allowing non-U.S. citizens who are living in the country legally to vote in Boston elections.
Boston City Council President Andrea Campbell tells WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens that Tuesday's hearing is really about starting a conversation.
"What can we do on a local level to make sure that folks who identify as immigrant and are on a pathway to become citizens, and who have lived in this city for years, what can we do to make sure they feel more a part of this government?" she said. "That may mean or include voting, but it could also mean entrepreneurial support for business owners, protecting our students from ICE."
In the order for the hearing, Campbell noted that Massachusetts has one of the largest immigrant populations--a total of 1,123,882, or 16.5 percent of the population--and that 28.4 percent of Boston's population is foreign born.
The proposal has already met opposition. Jessica Vaughn of the Center for Immigration Studies said they have to earn that right.
"That privilege and right should not be extended to people until they qualify for American citizenship," she said. "If they come as legal immigrants and earn citizenship, we welcome them."
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens (@carlwbz) reports