NYC Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez slams Curtis Sliwa over false citizenship claim: ‘An offense to my whole family’
When Curtis Sliwa falsely claimed during Tuesday night’s mayoral debate that Ydanis Rodriguez isn’t an American citizen, the uptown Manhattan councilman felt sad and angry — but not surprised.
“For me, it’s not something new to live with that type of discrimination,” Rodriguez, a Dominican national who became a U.S. citizen in 2000, told the Daily News on Wednesday.
“I live with that experience every day of my life. The only difference is that it’s this character — who has no chance of becoming mayor — who is making the comment. It’s an offense not only to myself, but to my whole family and to all immigrant New Yorkers.”
Sliwa, the long-shot Republican candidate for mayor, made the inaccurate citizenship claim after being asked on the debate stage about a bill introduced by Rodriguez in the Council that would allow green card holders to vote in local elections.
“The councilman of Washington Heights, he has a green card, which means he has been able to bring his family here, he is able to tap into all the benefits available to citizens. The only thing you cannot do with a green card is vote,” Sliwa said. “You have to ask yourself, why after all this time would Rodriguez not want to be a citizen of the United States?”
Sliwa’s comment prompted a swift wave of backlash, including from Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams, whose campaign slammed the red beret-wearing Guardian Angels founder over Twitter in real time during the debate.
Rodriguez, who is rumored to be in the running for a job in Adams’ likely administration next year, said Sliwa’s cheap shot was especially offensive because green card holders pay taxes.
“And they should have the right to participate in local elections,” he said. “It hurts that in 2021 someone like myself who has been living here for decades, that is a citizen, that is paying taxes is still seen as someone who doesn’t fulfill the profile of what he believes should be a citizen. Thankfully, he only represents a small percentage of New Yorkers.”
Sliwa said in the debate that he’s personally against allowing green card holders to vote, but that he wouldn’t have an issue with the state holding a constitutional referendum on the matter.
Reached by phone Wednesday, Sliwa claimed he misspoke about Rodriguez during the debate and that he was trying to make a point about why he opposes non-citizen voting.
“I was operating on old brain cells,” Sliwa said. “I was incorrect, I apologize — no slight to green card holders, no slight to those with work visas, no slight to Ydanis.”
Non-citizen voting is likely to become a pressing issue for Adams if he wins the Nov. 2 mayoral election as expected.
Rodriguez has long advocated for giving green card holders the right to vote, and the bill he’s currently pushing is supported by most of his fellow councilmembers.
Adams has voiced support for non-citizen voting as well, though he said in Tuesday’s debate that he would need to consult the city Law Department about the matter before making an absolute determination, noting that the legislation may need to be tweaked to pass muster with the state constitution.
Rodriguez, a prominent Adams campaign surrogate and adviser, said he’s confident Adams will sign the bill if it’s passed by the Council.
“This is a bill that will restore the rights of New Yorkers who pay taxes,” he said.
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