They came to the United States from El Salvador, Ethiopia and Iran to study, earn money and escape violence. And they all found a home in the nation’s capital. They are not U.S. citizens, but they care about issues in their communities, including education, health care and affordable housing.
Washington, D.C
In a first, noncitizens are voting in D.C. Here’s what it means to them.
The voters include 310 who registered as Democrat, 169 independent, 28 Republican and 16 Statehood Green, said Sarah Graham, a spokesperson for the D.C. Board of Elections.
In this city, which has no voting representative in Congress, leaders have expanded voting rights to noncitizen residents. Noncitizens are eligible to vote if they are at least 18 years old as of Election Day, have been a D.C. resident for at least 30 days before the election, have not been deemed by a court legally incompetent to vote and are not claiming the right to vote in any state, territory or country.
There has been opposition, with critics arguing that the right to vote should be reserved for American citizens. The U.S. House advanced a bill last month to block noncitizen voting in D.C., though it’s unlikely this bill would move forward in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Workers for the D.C. Board of Elections have also been fielding angry messages from callers opposed to noncitizen voting, said Monica Evans, the office’s executive director.
The noise lawmakers are making in Congress simply spreads more awareness that this new right for noncitizens exists, said Abel Amene, an Ethiopian immigrant who last year became the first noncitizen to hold public office in D.C. and who fought for the noncitizen vote. Abel, an advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 4 — who prefers that people call him by his first name because of cultural naming practices — is excited to see how voting will empower noncitizens to participate in local democracy and make their voices heard.
“It’s only one, [or a] few buttons to press,” Abel said, “but it will have huge impacts moving forward.”
Noncitizen voters shared with The Washington Post what the right to cast a ballot means for them.
Ana Lemus, 42, came to the District about 15 years ago to escape from a bad relationship and pervasive gang violence in El Salvador.
Before leaving her home country, she made a point of exercising her right to vote.
“It’s my duty,” she said in Spanish while her 19-year-old daughter, Genesis, interpreted. In El Salvador, even when her husband interrogated her about where she was going and discouraged her from voting, Ana still got ready and marched out of the house to the polls. “My vote is my vote.”
Now, Ana will cast her vote again in D.C. elections, along with Genesis, who was 4 years old when she arrived in the United States. Both registered to vote earlier this year.
Genesis said her top priorities in this election are “the cost of living skyrocketing, gender inequality, wealth inequality, and police brutality.” And Genesis, a leader in local advocacy for street vendors, isn’t satisfied with just being a voter. Her dream, she said, “is to one day maybe run, later on in my 20s, for [advisory neighborhood commissioner] first, maybe council member after.”
Shaghayegh ‘Chris’ Rostampour
A few months ago, Shaghayegh “Chris” Rostampour was researching immigrant voting rights and came across the District’s legislation allowing noncitizens to vote. Rostampour looked at the eligibility criteria and realized they qualified.
“I was like, ‘Wow, this is what democracy is like, this is what participatory democracy and direct participation is like, and this is what an inclusive society should be like,’” said Rostampour, a 34-year-old resident of D.C.’s Ward 2. “So I was very thrilled about it. And it made me even happier to live where I live.”
Last weekend at the West End library, Rostampour voted for the first time since the 2017 presidential election in Iran, their home country. Rostampour declined to share whom they voted for but said they were most concerned about issues related to the lack of affordable housing, the high cost of living, pollution and environmental concerns.
“The very act of voting and feeling like I can have a small impact and I can make a decision, it made me feel very empowered,” they said. “It made me feel like I had a voice.”
Rostampour came to the United States on a student visa in 2018 to study conflict resolution at Brandeis University before moving to the District in 2022 to work at an arms-control nonprofit. They have become involved in political activism with peace organizations and submitted their green card application a few months ago.
Rostampour was raised to believe that voting was a civic duty and has been troubled by House lawmakers’ efforts to block the noncitizen vote and language suggesting noncitizens are trying to “interfere” with local elections. And Rostampour is concerned on behalf of immigrants who worry that voting could jeopardize their status in this country.
“There’s a lot of fear to participate, just because people are worried about the consequences,” they said. “All of this is legal, all of this is allowed, but we are still worried about how it might impact us.”
Soledad Miranda has lived in the United States for decades and is used to working hard to support her family and advocating for her rights.
Miranda, a 49-year-old Ward 1 resident from El Salvador, spends weekdays as a cleaner in the Wilson Building, which houses the offices of the city’s mayor and council members. In the evenings and on weekends, she is a street vendor selling traditional clothing from her home country.
As a shop steward for her union — Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, which represents workers who help maintain about 1,500 office buildings in the region — Miranda was chosen by her colleagues to interview D.C. Council candidates to help the union make its endorsements.
What she wanted to know most was how candidates would improve access to housing and health care. Miranda said she often runs into council members and candidates in the lobby or hallways of the Wilson Building and takes note of how they treat her and others.
Although she did not want to share whom she planned to vote for, her union endorsed Ward 4 council member Janeese Lewis George and Wendell Felder, the former chair of the Ward 7 Democrats who is running for the council seat in that ward. When Miranda casts her ballot, she said, she will look to candidates who support immigrants and policies such as “temporary protected status,” which she said is the reason she can stay in the country, obtain a driver’s license and get her cosmetology license. And she will be thinking of her 14-year-old daughter and her future.
“I’ve lived in this country for 30 years. I have my daughter who is a U.S. citizen, I pay my taxes, I feel like I have the right to vote,” Miranda said through a translator. “I feel excited. I’ll have an opportunity to cast my vote — not just me, but other people who came here as immigrants and don’t need U.S. citizenship to vote.”
Germán Trinidad, 39, has long been active in local politics. Trinidad, who came to D.C. from El Salvador in 2002, has supported efforts to decriminalize street vending and create a pathway for street vendors to get licensed. He and his wife sell hot food and beverages on the street in Mount Pleasant.
On Tuesday, he will vote in D.C. elections.
“I’m very happy that they’re taking me into account,” he said through a translator. He wants better infrastructure in the District, and he’s concerned about crime. “[It’s] a big issue, especially because we are vendors and we are outside, so obviously that’s a priority.”
He’s proud of the progress street vendors have made in recent years in “being able to sell products peacefully in the city.” For future elections, he hopes for a stronger slate of candidates — “better choices, people who will make our future better.”
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Abel Amene, who is pursuing a double degree in physics and economics at the University of Maryland, said he is always on the brink of homelessness and sees other immigrants struggling, too. But he had never voted in D.C. and was unable to have a say about how elected leaders address housing or any other issue — until now in this primary.
“Almost every political decision I make, the fear I face of possibly becoming homeless, again, is always front of mind,” said Abel, 38, who came to the United States from Ethiopia as a teenager in 1999. “There’s a real impact that these politicians and these elected officials have on my safety and how secure I feel at home.”
In late May, he went to the West End library and voted for the first time in any government election. And although his views as a socialist don’t perfectly align with those of council members Robert C. White Jr. (D-At Large) and Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), he voted for them because of their positions on housing.
“I’m now 38 years old, and this is the first time I ever cast a ballot in a government election. It was amazing,” he said. “It felt very impactful, like I had a say in something bigger than me.”
Club exercises Tamara Bolt’s 2027 option, extends Madison Haugen through end of season
Washington, D.C. (06/30/2026) – The Washington Spirit has made two midseason roster moves ahead of the resumption of the regular season early next month, the club announced today. The club has exercised its 2027 option on forward Tamara Bolt’s contract and extended short-term injury replacement (STR) player Madison Haugen through the end of the 2026 season.
“As we look ahead to kicking off the second half of the season, we’re confident in the group of players we have together and our midseason roster moves reflect that,” said Sporting Director James Hocken. “Our roster is constantly evolving to best serve the club’s aim of bringing trophies home to DC.”
Bolt signed with the Spirit in January 2025 before spending the calendar year on loan with Dallas Trinity FC of the USL Super League. Since returning to DC prior to this season, the Salvador, Brazil native has appeared in five matches for the Spirit. Bolt played three seasons with top-flight Brazilian side SC Internacional before joining the Spirit, appearing in 36 matches and tallying six goals in the process.
Haugen joined the Spirit as a short-term injury replacement player this past preseason, adding depth to the team’s roster in the absence of its players out on maternity leave. The defender has yet to appear in a match for the Spirit this season. Haugen most recently competed for Portugal’s Sporting CP, scoring five goals across 21 appearances.
The Spirit maintains ongoing conversations with all players that will be free agents following the 2026 season. Updates will be provided as they occur.
The Spirit will next take the pitch at Audi Field on Friday, July 3 when the side returns from the NWSL-wide June break to host the Houston Dash. Kicking off the holiday weekend at 8 p.m. EDT, tickets are available at WashingtonSpirit.com/tickets.
About The Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
This year’s Fourth of July celebrations in Washington, D.C. — marking the nation’s 250th birthday — will include hours of military flyovers and a massive fireworks display that could stretch late into the night, with some of the tightest security in decades, officials said Monday.
This Fourth will include “the largest display of fireworks our city has ever seen,” D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Interim Chief Jeff Carroll said at a news conference. Usually the fireworks begin at around 9 p.m., but this year, they are expected to begin at 11 p.m. and are “going to be longer than in previous years, we are told,” Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters.
President Trump has said he plans to speak at 9 p.m., ahead of the fireworks. Starting at 1:15 p.m., hundreds of planes will participate in a “Fourth of July Airshow,” the president said. The National Mall also is hosting a daily event called the Great American State Fair that will run until July 10, and some local neighborhoods are hosting parades and other events on the Fourth.
The main festivities have been deemed a National Special Security Event, a designation used for massive events like Super Bowls and presidential inaugurations. Security measures will be more extensive than for any Fourth of July event in D.C. since shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Carroll said, with more blocking vehicles, more fencing, concrete barriers and other security measures that aren’t employed for a typical Fourth of July celebration.
The FBI isn’t tracking any credible threats to the Fourth of July, but “we always remain vigilant,” said Darren Cox, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington field office.
Those planning to view the fireworks show from the Washington Monument grounds should expect “TSA-style” security, with magnetometers screening guests, according to Tara McLeese, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Washington field office.
Guests can arrive as early as 1 p.m., and should enter on the east side of the Washington Monument at Constitution Avenue and 14th St. NW, or at Independence Avenue and 14th Street SW, McLeese said.
McLeese said each guest in the restricted area is allowed only one clear bag no larger than a gallon, or a small clutch purse. There will be no storage for prohibited items.
The capacity of the primary viewing area at the Washington Monument is set at about 150,000, according to Secret Service Special Agent in Charge David Yamen, who runs the agency’s dignitary protective division. It is expected to hit capacity.
Attendees of the Great American State Fair at the National Mall are encouraged to remain there to watch the fireworks show, rather than attempting to enter the primary viewing zone on the Washington Monument grounds, said Scott Brecht, chief of the U.S. Park Police. Leaving one zone and moving to another will require additional security screenings, and reentry may not be possible.
To get to the National Mall on the Fourth, public transit use is encouraged. The D.C. Metro will be free after 5 p.m., Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager Randy Clarke said, “to really make sure people can not only enjoy the festivities all over the region as a community, but also make sure from a safety point of view we can get people going through.”
“If you’re going downtown for the fireworks, plan ahead, be ready for an increased security presence, crowds, and road closures,” D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency Director Clint Osborn said. “I would say that if you’re going downtown and you’ve done this before, don’t assume you know what it’s going to look like.”
Join CBS for “The Great American Block Party 250,” a primetime special on Saturday, July 4, hosted by CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil and Entertainment Tonight’s Nischelle Turner, featuring live musical performances, celebrations around the country, and the largest fireworks show in history in the skies over the nation’s capital. Tune in July 4 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and stream it on Paramount+ and CBS News 24/7.
Washington, D.C
DC will pay $50,000 to man detained while protesting guard patrol with ‘Star Wars’ song, record says
WASHINGTON (AP) — The District of Columbia has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a resident who accused police officers of illegally detaining him for following an Ohio National Guard patrol while playing Darth Vader’s theme song from “Star Wars” on his cellphone, according to a document released Monday.
The plaintiff, Sam O’Hara, sued the district, four Metropolitan Police Department officers and a guard member from Ohio over what he says was his act of protest against President Donald Trump’s federal law enforcement surge in Washington, D.C.
A court filing on Thursday disclosed the settlement but didn’t specify any monetary terms. The amount is included in a copy of the settlement agreement that D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb’s office provided to The Associated Press.
The $50,000 settlement includes attorney’s fees and costs. O’Hara is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia. In an email on Friday, an ACLU spokesperson referred to the settlement’s financial terms as “a significant amount” that O’Hara “is pleased with” but said they weren’t disclosing the dollar figure to protect his privacy.
O’Hara, an artist who works in the hospitality industry, agreed to drop his claims against the district and the MPD officers within three business days of receiving the settlement payment. The settlement isn’t an admission of wrongdoing by the district, the agreement says.
O’Hara’s settlement with the district doesn’t resolve his related claims against an Ohio National Guard member, Sgt. Devon Beck, who has asked a judge to dismiss O’Hara’s claims against him.
O’Hara sued the district in October, claiming police officers violated his First Amendment rights to free speech and his Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable seizures and excessive force.
O’Hara played “The Imperial March” theme from “Star Wars” on his phone as he followed several National Guard troops down a public street on Sept. 11, 2025. One of the troops summoned police officers, who stopped O’Hara and kept him handcuffed for 15 to 20 minutes before releasing him without charges, according to the lawsuit.
Trump’s ongoing deployment of guard members in Washington began last August after the Republican president issued an executive order declaring a crime emergency in the nation’s capital. The surge inflamed tensions with residents of the heavily Democratic district. Hundreds of guard members remain deployed in the district nearly a year later, with no clear end in sight.
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