U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Urges Four States to Review Voter Rolls for Non-Citizens

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has asked election officials in California, New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania to review their voter registration rolls for possible non citizens, saying the move is intended to strengthen election integrity ahead of upcoming elections.

Noem sent letters to officials in the four states requesting that they use available federal immigration records and other lawful data sources to identify individuals who may not be eligible to vote under U.S. law. Federal law generally limits voting in federal elections to U.S. citizens, although isolated cases of no citizen voting have been documented over the years.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it is prepared to assist state election authorities by providing access to immigration databases where permitted by law. The department said the review is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to ensure that voter registration records are accurate and that only eligible citizens participate in federal elections.

Noem said maintaining accurate voter rolls is essential to public confidence in the electoral process and urged the states to work with federal agencies to identify and remove any ineligible registrations in accordance with state and federal laws.

Election officials and voting rights advocates responded cautiously to the request, noting that states already conduct regular voter roll maintenance and warning that inaccurate data matching could mistakenly affect eligible U.S. citizens. They stressed that any review should include safeguards to prevent wrongful voter removals and protect the rights of lawful voters.

The issue of voter eligibility has remained a politically contentious topic in the United States, with Republicans arguing that stricter safeguards are needed to prevent election fraud, while Democrats and voting rights groups say documented cases of non-citizen voting are rare and caution against measures that could disenfranchise eligible voters.

The requests come as election officials across the country continue preparations for upcoming federal and state elections, with election security and voter registration expected to remain central issues in the national political debate.