Paxton Demands Citizenship Data From Biden-Harris Administration To Investigate Potential Noncitizen Voters
October 8, 2024 – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a letter demanding that the federal government fulfill its legal obligations by providing any information it possesses regarding the citizenship status of people who may be illegally registered to vote in Texas.
On September 18, Attorney General Paxton urged the Texas Secretary of State to request data from the federal government that would enable Texas to determine the citizenship status of certain registered voters without a State of Texas-issued driver’s license or identification card. To expedite the process of voter eligibility verification, Attorney General Paxton requested a list of the approximately 450,000 voters whose citizenship status has never been checked from the Texas Secretary of State so he could send it to the federal government himself.
While it is a crime for noncitizens to register to vote, federal law has been construed by the courts to restrict states from requiring proof of citizenship as a prerequisite for registration. However, the same federal laws also place obligations on the federal government to help states investigate and identify potential noncitizens on voter rolls. Attorney General Paxton’s request letter formally triggers these obligations.
“I demand full cooperation from the federal government to ensure that any noncitizens remaining on Texas’s voter registration rolls are identified,” said Attorney General Paxton. “The Biden-Harris Administration is legally obligated to assist States in doing so, and it is imperative that we use every tool available to uphold the integrity of our elections.”
