In June, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into possible cases of noncitizens voting in one of the state’s largest counties. Unsurprisingly, many Democrats and media commentators assert that such incidents don’t occur in the U.S., given existing laws that prohibit noncitizen voting.
What began as a query from Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson regarding 33 suspected noncitizens who voted in the 2024 General Election has now expanded significantly. According to Paxton, the investigation has identified more than 100 potential noncitizens across three election cycles, and they are believed to have cast over 200 ballots.
Paxton stated in a press release, “Illegal aliens and foreign nationals must not be allowed to influence Texas elections by casting illegal ballots with impunity. I will not allow it to continue.” He emphasized that this investigation, bolstered by what he called President Trump’s efforts to secure voting processes, aims to hold any noncitizen accountable if they illegally voted.
Paxton commended Trump’s executive order, which enabled state access to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s SAVE Database. This access is intended to provide crucial information needed for pursuing these cases.
This investigation stands in stark contrast to claims circulated by legacy media outlets, which have argued, particularly around the time of the 2024 presidential election, that the idea of Democrats allowing noncitizens to vote is unfounded. Reports, like one from NPR, stated that no evidence backs claims that migrants are being allowed to vote as part of a larger conspiracy, referring to it as a racially charged theory.
In similar critiques, CNN has pointed out that laws already exist to prevent noncitizens from voting, arguing that the likelihood of such occurrences remains extremely low. MSNBC’s Steve Benen also highlighted the passing of related legislation with a title suggesting that it’s addressing a problem that might not genuinely exist.
Interestingly, major media outlets like NPR, CNN, and MSNBC have not reported on the ongoing investigations in Texas regarding noncitizen voting.
In discussions around bills like the SAVE Act, Democrats have generally maintained that they don’t support noncitizen voting, asserting that such measures can disenfranchise legitimate voters and are, in their view, redundant.
While Virginia has reportedly removed thousands of illegal voters from its rolls prior to the 2024 election, it raises the question: Is the rarity of noncitizen voting only a product of limited investigations across the states? It seems there are indeed ongoing issues, even if they are sometimes dismissed as being infrequent.
This situation illustrates the complexity of voting legality and enforcement, showing that while the narrative often suggests noncitizen voting is a non-issue, those actively investigating might beg to differ.
