Immigrants are part of the fabric of Kentucky—raising families, running businesses, serving communities, and yes, holding public office. But now, a new pair of bills threatens to erase immigrant voices from our democracy entirely.

Kentucky House Bills 186 and 259, introduced by Rep. Shane Baker, would ban naturalized citizens and dual citizens from holding almost every elected office in the state. That includes city council seats, school boards, judgeships, and even the office of governor. In effect, the bills would bar people like Lexington’s Vice Mayor Dan Wu—born in China, raised in the U.S.—from serving the communities that elected them. It would even exclude Rep. Nima Kulkarni, a sitting legislator and naturalized citizen.

This isn’t about national security. It’s not about qualifications. It’s about drawing an arbitrary line between Kentuckians based solely on where they were born. That’s wrong—and unconstitutional in spirit, if not in law.

Immigrants who become U.S. citizens take the same oath, pay the same taxes, and believe in the same ideals as anyone else. They serve in our armed forces, teach in our schools, and lead in times of crisis. Why shouldn’t they lead in elected office?

This bill sends a chilling message: that no matter how hard you work or how deeply you invest in your community, you’ll never be seen as fully American in Kentucky. That’s not the Commonwealth we believe in.

We call on the Kentucky General Assembly to reject House Bills 186 and 259. We urge Governor Andy Beshear and all local officials to speak out now, before these discriminatory bills go any further. Every Kentuckian deserves a voice—and a vote—in the future of our state.