In a letter sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday, the group of lawmakers pressed the top DOJ official to provide information on whether the department has taken any steps to investigate illegal immigrants accused of illegally voting or registering to vote in federal elections.
The letter comes after Republicans pressed Garland for similar information earlier this year, a request they say has not been fulfilled.
“American citizens must have confidence in the security of our elections,” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who spearheaded the letter alongside Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN), said in a statement. “The DOJ’s failure to provide timely answers to our important questions is not acceptable.”
The lawmakers cited “alarming events” in states such as Virginia and Texas in which thousands of noncitizens attempted to register to vote in federal elections. The letter specifically cited 6,303 noncitizens who were removed from Virginia voter rolls in 2022 and 2023 and another 6,500 in Texas.
However, the lawmakers said there is “no publicly available information” suggesting the DOJ has opened investigations into those reports, nor has the department brought cases against the noncitizens.
As a result, the lawmakers are also pressing Garland on whether the DOJ has contacted election officials in the two states to obtain information on the noncitizens removed from the voter rolls.
“At least 10 million illegal aliens have been released into our country through our porous borders during Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s Administration,” Biggs said. “Americans should not have to be concerned that their voices will be drowned out by the voices of illegal aliens when electing officials for public office.”
Election integrity has become a major flashpoint for Republicans heading into the November election, with former President Donald Trump and his GOP allies already laying the groundwork for claims of a stolen election before voters even cast their ballots.
Much of that effort began earlier this year when Trump helped Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) craft the SAVE Act, a GOP-led bill that would prohibit noncitizens from voting in federal elections — a proposal that Democrats have adamantly opposed.
Most House Democrats voted against the legislation when it was brought to the floor for a vote in July, prompting Republicans to paint their opponents as weak on election integrity and putting the November contest at risk.
Trump continued to push for the SAVE Act’s passage, citing concerns that illegal immigrants will cast “potentially hundreds of thousands of votes” in November, with the former president claiming that they do not need to prove their citizenship under current law. He has also accused Democrats of “importing voters” from foreign countries, a claim that has been amplified by allies such as X owner Elon Musk.
Republicans have even used those claims in fundraising emails and ad campaigns.
“Are you an American citizen?” a fundraising email from Republican National Committee co-Chairwoman Lara Trump reads. “I’m asking because, despite the lies from Democrats, experts are saying that as many as 2.7 million illegals could vote in November. And on behalf of President Trump, I’m reaching out to all REAL AMERICAN PATRIOTS to ensure they’re ready to deliver my father-in-law a victory that’s TOO BIG TO RIG!”
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Federal law already requires voter registration forms to compel voters to swear under penalty of perjury that they are citizens of the United States. Additionally, individuals must provide proof of a driver’s license or Social Security number for election officials to verify their identity in U.S. databases.
Still, reports of noncitizens being removed from voter rolls have prompted concerns from Republicans who warn that it could unfairly influence the 2024 contest.