by
ACT FOR AMERICA |
Virginia’s Governor Fighting Back!
Federal Judge orders Virginia to restore 1,600 voter registrations canceled in effort to purge noncitizens
Today’s court ruling in Virginia has ordered the state to reinstate approximately 1,600 non-citizen voter registrations that were canceled under an initiative to remove noncitizens from its voter rolls. This process, intended to ensure only eligible citizens vote, drew a lawsuit from the Department of Justice (DOJ), arguing that removing voters so close to an election—a “quiet period” defined as within 90 days of a federal election.
The law, backed by former Democratic Governor Tim Kaine and previously approved by the DOJ, has been used in prior years without issue. However, the DOJ now argues that these cancellations infringe on voting rights, particularly as some of the removed individuals may face barriers to re-registration before the upcoming election.
Governor Youngkin responded, “This is a stunning ruling by a federal judge who is ordering Virginia to reinstate individuals who have self-identified as non-citizens back on the voter rolls and what’s even more astounding is the vast majority of these folks have presented immigration documents confirming that they were non-citizens, and we recently had that verified by federal authorities. So here we are with a judge saying put people back on voter rolls who we know are non-citizens. And this is under a law that’s been in affect since 2006 and it’s been applied by Republican and Democrat Governors alike, into this 90-day period…We are immediately petitioning the 4th circuit for an emergency stay here, on this injunction, and we will immediately appeal to the Supreme Court if necessary. But we are not going to sit by and let this happen.”
The 90-day window shouldn’t apply to proven non-citizens! You can’t disenfranchise illegal voters, you only disenfranchised citizen voters when fraudulent votes are permitted to be cast! We need to clean house in this election season and turn the tide on those who seek to rob Americans of election integrity and security!
In Case You Missed It…
Biden-Harris Protecting Non-Citizen Votes
Florida sues Biden admin over alleged refusal to help state purge noncitizens from voter rolls
Adam Shaw | Fox | 10-17-24
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The state of Florida is suing the Biden administration over what it claims is a refusal to verify immigration records so that the Sunshine State can ensure the integrity of its voter rolls and prevent noncitizens from voting.
In a lawsuit, obtained first by Fox News Digital, the state argues that DHS is mandated to respond to an inquiry from state or local governments seeking to verify the immigration status of anyone in their jurisdiction for a purpose authorized by law.
“Because the federal government is refusing to comply with these obligations and frustrating Florida’s ability to maintain the integrity of its elections, Florida files this suit,” the lawsuit says.
Florida says it “has an obligation to maintain accurate and current voter registration records” and also notes the impact of the crisis at the southern border, which brought millions of noncitizens into the U.S.
It argues that it cannot track and maintain immigration information on its own. States can verify status through a DHS program called the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. According to the lawsuit, DHS and Florida have an agreement to allow the state to use SAVE to verify immigration and citizenship status for people on the voter registration rolls.
The lawsuit claims that Florida’s Department of State identified a number of individuals for whom it had evidence that they were not citizens, but couldn’t run a search via SAVE as it doesn’t have unique identifiers.
The state says it reached out to DHS’ U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requesting the verification of those people, but was denied.
“Thus, Florida has identified a subset of individuals for whom it cannot verify citizenship or immigration status through SAVE and for whom DHS refuses to verify citizenship or immigration status through other means,” the state says. DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The state is seeking an order saying the refusal to provide Florida with a response is unlawful, a declaration that they are entitled to a response and an order requiring DHS to respond to the inquiry.
“Voting is a right granted to American citizens—not illegal immigrants or other noncitizens. The Biden-Harris administration has allowed millions of illegal immigrants into the country, and we must ensure that only citizens are on our voter rolls,” Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. “I am taking legal action against the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Mayorkas to ensure Florida is able to maintain the integrity of our state’s voter rolls.”
“The Florida Constitution is clear that only citizens can vote in our elections. Florida is calling on the federal government to dismantle the barriers blocking the states from obtaining critical information needed to prevent non-citizens from voting in our elections,” said Florida Secretary of State, Cord Byrd. “We are going to prevail in our effort to uphold the law and uphold the Constitution’s guarantee of one citizen, one vote.”
A similar lawsuit was filed by the state of Ohio, requesting access to multiple DHS databases.
It marks the latest in a continued back and forth between GOP-led states and the Biden administration over concerns about noncitizen voting. A number of states have made efforts to remove noncitizen voters from the rolls, but some have fallen foul of the administration.
The Department of Justice has sued both Alabama and Virginia over those states’ efforts to remove noncitizens, arguing that they have violated the Quiet Period Provision, which says that states must complete maintenance no later than 90 days before the election.
In a statement responding to the lawsuit against his state, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin called the lawsuit “politically motivated.”