DOJ warns all 50 states of criminal exposure over noncitizen voting
What's new: The letters gave states five days to explain how they will keep noncitizens off voter rolls before the November midterms.
The Justice Department sent letters to all 50 states and the District of Columbia warning that election officials could face criminal charges if noncitizens remain on voter rolls or receive ballots. The letters, signed by Civil Rights Division chief Harmeet Dhillon, cite federal election laws and press states to show how they are preventing noncitizens from voting in federal races. The move escalates the Trump administration’s push on election oversight ahead of November’s midterm elections, even as studies have found voting by noncitizens is rare. Democratic election officials in states including Michigan and Arizona pushed back, calling the warnings political intimidation and saying existing safeguards already require proof of eligibility.