By ERIKA PIERCE
“First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist…”
On Feb. 18, in a highly unusual turn, a Westchester County Board of Legislators meeting made international news when a sitting Congressman asked a sitting county legislator whether he was a citizen
The board’s vice chair, Jose Alvarado (D-Yonkers), who is Latino, asked what ID papers people like him should carry to protect themselves when confronted by ICE. His question reflected the real experiences and valid fears of our shared constituents. Still, some dismissed his question as a “political stunt.” The real stunt, in my opinion, was the Representative Mike Lawler’s tone-deaf reply, through which he hoped to belittle my colleague’s experience.
As Americans, we cannot and must not normalize asking residents in our streets for their papers.
As a Jew with family who survived the Holocaust, I understand that, even today, asking most Jews to show their “papers” to prove citizenship would provoke anger, outrage and fear. As a student of history, and a neighbor of our local Antioch Baptist Church, a historic Black church, I also know that for the African American community, the long shadow of having to provide “papers” in order to travel, to vote, or to do just about anything, has not yet left. As someone who advocates for the LGBTQ+ community, I know that issues regarding “papers” for our trans citizens are equally fraught, especially now. And, as someone who lives in and represents a community rich with Hispanic immigrants, I am acutely aware that our Hispanic residents, including our citizens, are living in fear.
In this same moment, the “powers that be” in Washington want to disenfranchise potentially millions of Americans by narrowing the list of acceptable “papers” needed to register to vote or even update their registration. H.R. 22 or the so-called SAVE Act purports to address illegal voting by non-citizens. However, for the vast majority of Americans, the SAVE Act would mean many — including married women and our veterans, who have risked their life to support our country — will be hard pressed to prove they belong.
As a footnote, if H.R. 22, already passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, becomes law, any time a local resident wants to register or change their voter registration, they will need to go in person to White Plains with all their appropriate documentation in hand.
Very little illegal voting occurs in our country. You can visit the conservative Heritage Foundation’s website at heritage.org to see just how small. Yet, even the most casual students of history know this overblown fear is a well-worn tool used in many of the worst episodes of world history. It is a tool designed to frighten and subjugate. It is a tool used by those who want to promote xenophobia. On the mild end of potential outcomes, we see a depression in voter turnout and people retreating to their homes. On the worst end, we see fascism.
No elected official can have the lived experience of every population group they represent, no matter how much of a melting pot we may be. Rep. Lawler (R-CD 17) may not be Jewish, Black, Hispanic or LGBTQ, but that is not the issue. The question is whether he stands up for those in his constituency who are. And further, as a duly elected representative to Congress, whether he stands willing to protect our shared democracy.
Every day brings new headlines, but I do not want this important issue to get lost in the onslaught.
If you are not familiar with Martin Niemoller’s famous quotation, it starts with the words at the opening of this column. The quotation ends with a cautionary tale, very appropriate for our time. “Then they came for me. And there was no one left to speak out for me.”
Westchester County Legislator Erika Pierce represents District 2 which includes Bedford, Lewisboro and Pound Ridge.