COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) – A city in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., has decided to allow non-citizens to vote in municipal elections.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the mayor and city council of College Park, Maryland, voted to make the change Tuesday night. It expands local voting rights to undocumented immigrants, student-visa holders and residents with green-cards.

The vote occurred during a tense meeting. Residents who supported the change said it was about civil rights. Those who opposed it said voting is a privilege immigrants should earn with citizenship.

The majority of residents who submitted comments supported the expansion, Mayor Patrick Wojahn said. About 20 percent of College Park’s 32,000 residents are foreign-born.

The New York Times reported in August that 10 municipalities in Maryland already allow non-citizen voting in local elections.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.  (PHOTO: )