Top Takeaways:
– Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sues Biden administration for lack of aid in checking voter citizenship statuses.
– Paxton accuses Homeland Security of not meeting its legal obligation to assist states in voter citizenship verification.
– Immigration officials have pointed Paxton to an existing, secure program for verifying citizenship status.
– Paxton’s suit argues that the existing tool is not adequate for voter roll verification.
– Democrats criticize this move as a potential deterrent to eligible voters and undermining faith in election results.
Paxton’s Claim Against The Biden Administration
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a lawsuit against the Biden administration recently. He criticized the federal government for not providing aid to Texas in verifying the citizenship status of state voters. Even though Paxton admitted that noncitizen voting is illegal and very rare, he insists on this verification.
Legalities Of Voter Citizenship Verification
In Paxton’s lawsuit, he states that federal law requires the government to help states in confirming the citizenship of registered voters. He targeted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), accusing the agency of not doing its part. This move comes amid an ongoing dispute over voter verification and election integrity.
Paxton’s Hunt For Noncitizen Voters
This lawsuit is the latest step in Paxton’s pursuit of noncitizen voters. It came just two weeks before the election and a day after early voting began in Texas. Paxton urged Texas Secretary of State Janet Nelson to ask the federal government for data. This data, according to Paxton, could cross-check the state’s voter rolls.
The SAVE Program
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services referred Texas to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program on October 10. This program allows states to verify citizens’ naturalized or acquired citizenship statuses. Despite this solution, communication between immigration officials and several states over the availability of data has been rocky.
Paxton’s Criticism Of The SAVE Program
The SAVE program, according to Paxton’s lawsuit, is not robust enough to verify the citizenship status of an individual on the voter rolls. The Homeland Security department has yet to address these allegations.
Concern About Noncitizen Voting
Paxton, along with several Republicans, backs the former President Donald Trump’s claims about noncitizen voting affecting election integrity. However, experts assert that noncitizen voting is extraordinarily rare, with no evidence that it influences election results.
The Scope Of Citizen Verification
Paxton, in seeking citizenship data, admitted that most individuals his office wants to verify are eligible and lawful voters. However, he insists on obtaining this data because without it, he claims, the state can’t be certain of voter eligibility.
The Return Request Of Paxton
Earlier this month, Paxton requested a list of potential noncitizens registered to vote from Nelson. In response, Nelson shared voter records of those without a Texas driver’s license or ID card number on file. Despite this, Paxton claims that the state still does not know if any registered voters are noncitizens and, therefore, ineligible.
The Democratic Response
Democrats have voiced their concern about this public crackdown on noncitizen voting. They claim it could intimidate eligible voters and weaken public trust in election outcomes. Governor Greg Abbott claimed in August that the state had removed over 1m ineligible voters, including 6,500 noncitizens, from its voter rolls. These claims, however, have been challenged by experts, stating they are likely exaggerated.
The Impact Of The Lawsuit
Paxton’s lawsuit against the Biden administration introduces another dimension to the ongoing debate over election integrity. Whether this lawsuit will lead to changes in the way voter eligibility is verified remains to be seen. But for now, it adds fuel to the fiery conversation about noncitizen voting and its perceived impact on our democratic process.