Thousands of Noncitizens Removed from Voter Rolls, Dozens of Lawmakers Want Answers from Garland
Dozens of lawmakers in the House and Senate are calling for more information from the Justice Department about efforts to stop noncitizen voting in federal elections, which they call a “serious threat” to election integrity. They cited officials in multiple states who have identified noncitizens on their voter rolls.
A letter from 73 lawmakers, led by Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., and Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland expressed deep concern about reports of noncitizens registering to vote and voting in federal elections. The letter noted that there has been no response from the DOJ regarding an inquiry in July seeking information on efforts to enforce laws prohibiting non-citizen voting.
Specifically, the lawmakers asked how many aliens have been prosecuted under laws related to noncitizen voting, how the DOJ handles allegations of noncitizen voting or registration, and the steps it takes to prevent such practices. They also mentioned that noncitizens are not allowed to vote and that top Republicans, including former President Trump, have repeatedly expressed concern about potential noncitizen voting, particularly given the influx of immigrants across the southern border in recent years.
In August, Republican lawmakers pushed for the SAVE Act, which aimed to require states to obtain proof of citizenship in person when registering an individual to vote and require states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls. The lawmakers cited an announcement by the Virginia attorney general that it had identified 6,303 noncitizens on its voter rolls in 2022 and 2023, while Texas had removed 6,500 noncitizens from its voter rolls. Of those, 1,930 had a history of voting.
The DOJ itself announced last month that it had charged an illegal immigrant with stealing a U.S. citizen’s identity to vote in multiple elections and fraudulently obtain a U.S. passport. The lawmakers emphasized that there is a non-negligible amount of voter participation by non-citizens in federal elections, which is a serious threat to the integrity of elections and democratic process, and has the potential to reduce Americans’ trust and confidence in election results.
This week, the DOJ sued Alabama, alleging the state removed voters who had been issued noncitizen identification numbers from its election rolls too close to Election Day. The agency argued that officials violated the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which requires states to complete any changes to the voter registration lists no later than 90 days before federal elections.
