Jefferson Reporter

U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Tommy Tuberville, and Bill Hagerty have expressed concerns to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding the Department of Justice's (DOJ) handling of noncitizens registering to vote in federal elections. The senators, along with several colleagues, criticized the DOJ for not prosecuting those involved in such activities.

In a letter to Attorney General Garland, the members of Congress stated, "We are deeply concerned by reports of non-citizens registering to vote and voting in federal elections." They highlighted the lack of response from the DOJ following an inquiry made on July 12, 2024, about efforts to enforce laws against non-citizen voting. The letter emphasized that with the presidential election approaching, the DOJ's silence is "especially alarming."

The senators noted that non-citizen participation in elections poses a threat to electoral integrity and public trust. They requested detailed information from the DOJ by October 16, 2024, including statistics on prosecutions under specific U.S.C. sections since January 20, 2021.

The inquiry seeks answers on how the DOJ investigates allegations of non-citizen voting and what steps it has taken to prevent such occurrences. The letter also questions efforts made by U.S. Attorneys and other relevant divisions within the DOJ.

Senators Marsha Blackburn, Roger Marshall, Thom Tillis, Rick Scott, James Lankford, Jim Risch, Ron Johnson, Kevin Cramer, Mike Crapo, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Josh Hawley, Steve Daines, Cynthia Lummis, Tim Scott, Marco Rubio, John Thune, Shelley Moore Capito, Ted Cruz among others signed the letter. Several representatives also supported this initiative.

Senator Britt has been active in promoting election integrity since assuming office. She introduced legislation known as the Citizen Ballot Protection Act aimed at allowing states to require proof of citizenship for mail-in voter registration applications.