Free Republic

Despite Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declaring the nation's capital a "sanctuary city" for those who violate federal immigration law, one city councilman believes that additional legislation is needed to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement from removing illegal aliens from the city. WTOP reports that Ward Six Councilman Charles Allen has called for an emergency meeting this Tuesday to discuss a new bill that he says would stop all city agencies from cooperating with ICE unless given an explicit court order. This means that local police and other D.C. government officials would be barred from "sharing information with ICE, complying...

Rat complaints are soaring, and D.C. is doubling down on its efforts to kill them Rats are overrunning D.C., and the city has tried everything from dry ice to solar trash cans to control the population. By Rachel Chason, John D. Harden and Chris Alcantara Aug. 23, 2018 They scurry across alleyways. They chew through trash cans. They make a sound that’s something between a hiss and a chatter. And despite the District’s efforts, the number of rats in Washington seems to be growing. Complaints to 311 about rodents in the nation’s capital reached an all-time high in 2017 —...

Rep. Grace Meng is sponsoring a resolution that would extend the right to vote to U.S. citizens 16 years of age or older. The New York Democrat’s resolution, introduced earlier this month, would repeal the 26th Amendment of the Constitution, which currently states the right to vote for citizens who are 18 years of age or older "shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State." If the resolution is passed, the amendment would instead say the right to vote for citizens who are 16 years of age or older "shall not be denied or...

As scores of young people crowded into a hearing room in the Wilson Building on Wednesday, D.C. Council members saw the future of D.C. politics. “There are multiple future council members and a future mayor in this room,” said D.C. Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6). But before they run for office, Allen wants to make them voters. A bill he introduced in April would do just that, lowering the voting age to 16. If passed, the bill would enfranchise up to 10,600 16- and 17-year-olds, according to Census Bureau data. It would also be historic. The nation’s capital would...