Fox's first appearance: Florida is suing the Biden administration, accusing the Sunshine State of refusing to verify immigration records to ensure the integrity of voter rolls and prevent non-citizens from voting.
In the lawsuit, first obtained by Fox News Digital, the state alleges that DHS does not respond to investigations by state or local governments seeking to verify the immigration status of persons within its jurisdiction for purposes authorized by law. They claim that they have a duty to respond.
“Florida brings this lawsuit because the federal government has refused to comply with these obligations, impeding Florida's ability to maintain election integrity,” the complaint states.
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Florida is “obligated to maintain accurate and up-to-date voter registration records,” he said, citing the impact of the southern border crisis that has brought millions of non-citizens into the United States.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas spoke during the daily press briefing at the White House. (Getty Images)
It claims it cannot track and maintain immigration information on its own. Countries can verify their status through a DHS program called the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. The complaint says DHS and the state of Florida have an agreement that allows the state to use SAVE to verify the immigration and citizenship status of people on its voter registration rolls.
The complaint alleges that the Florida Department of State identified numerous individuals with evidence that they were not citizens, but could not perform SAVE searches due to the lack of unique identifiers.
The state said it asked DHS' U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to identify these people, but was denied.
“Accordingly, the State of Florida has identified some individuals whose citizenship or immigration status cannot be verified through SAVE and whose citizenship or immigration status cannot be verified by DHS through other means.” states. DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, USA, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The state is seeking an order that Florida's refusal to respond is unlawful, a declaration that Florida is entitled to an answer, and an order requiring DHS to respond to the investigation.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Voting is a right afforded to American citizens, not to illegal immigrants or other noncitizens. The Biden-Harris administration will allow millions of illegal immigrants into the country. “We must ensure that only citizens are registered on the voter rolls.” said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “I will take legal action against the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Mayorkas to ensure that Florida maintains the integrity of our state’s voter rolls.”
“Florida's Constitution makes clear that only citizens may vote in elections.Florida has asked the federal government to prevent states from obtaining critical information needed to prevent non-citizens from voting in elections. “We are calling for the removal of barriers that currently exist,” the Florida Secretary of State said. Code Bird State. “We will abide by the law and prevail in our efforts to uphold the Constitution's guarantee of one citizen, one vote.”
Ohio filed a similar lawsuit seeking access to multiple DHS databases.
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This is the latest in a series of back-and-forths between Republican-led states and the Biden administration over concerns about non-referendum votes. Many states have made efforts to exclude noncitizen voters from their rolls, while some have resented the administration.
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The Justice Department said Alabama and Virginia's efforts to remove noncitizens violated the quiet period clause, which requires states to complete maintenance 90 days before an election. , sued both states.
In a statement responding to the lawsuit against the state, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin called the lawsuit “politically motivated.”
