The conservative watchdog group America First Legal has filed a lawsuit against an Arizona county for refusing to remove thousands of illegal immigrants from its voter rolls.
“America First Legal is leading the charge to stop illegal immigrants from voting in the 2024 election,” AFL President Stephen Miller said in a statement. “Maricopa County is refusing to remove illegal immigrant voters from its rolls, in direct violation of state law. We are taking decisive action — filing a lawsuit against Maricopa County for unlawfully allowing illegal immigrants and alien citizens to interfere in the 2024 election.”
The lawsuit, filed Monday night on behalf of the nonprofit Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona and Yvonne Cahill, a registered voter and naturalized citizen in Maricopa County, came after the AFL gave Maricopa County one week to address suspected illegal immigrants on its voter rolls.
An Arizona election worker accused of stealing security equipment remained employed despite being arrested on theft charges several months earlier
A voter casts his or her ballot at a secure ballot box at the Maricopa County Counting and Election Center in Phoenix on Nov. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
In response, Maricopa County Recorder Steven Richer, through his attorney, said he would not take any action and argued his office was already in compliance with the law.
The lawsuit alleges that more than 35,000 Arizona voters have not provided proof of citizenship as of April 2024, leaving them eligible to vote only in federal elections, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s office.
The lawsuit alleges that Arizona’s voter registration system creates a divide between those who submit a proof of citizenship (DPOC) and those who do not. Under Arizona law, a DPOC is required for state and local elections, but the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the federal voter registration form does not mandate this requirement. As a result, Arizona has a bifurcated system in which voters who use the federal form (known as federal-only voters) can only vote in federal elections.
“Absolutely anti-Trump supporters” rally behind Republican Harris’ Democratic campaign
On June 20, 2024, temporary election officials were captured on video removing security equipment from the Maricopa County Counting and Election Center in Arizona. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
“The number of federal-only voters in Maricopa County is growing every month,” the lawsuit alleges.
In 2022, Arizona enacted two laws that impose stricter voter roll management requirements for federal-only voters. These laws require county recorders to verify citizenship and conduct monthly controls to verify newly registered federal-only voters within 10 days.
“Recorder Richer failed to maintain this required list,” the lawsuit alleges.
Since the 2020 election, Maricopa County has been at the center of controversy over election integrity and procedures. The county, a key battleground state, has faced widespread allegations of voter fraud, including allegations of improper handling of ballots and malfunctioning voting machines. However, most of these allegations have been dismissed by courts and election officials.
Kali Lake wins Republican nomination, entering into a general election battle with Gallego for Sinema’s seat
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates speaks about a voting machine malfunction at the Maricopa County Counting and Election Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 8, 2022. (John Moore/Getty Images)
In June, the special election staff Maricopa County According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, the man was seen on security cameras stealing a “digital magnetic key” from the counting center, and had previously been arrested while working as a cashier at a nearby grocery store after he took a total of $1,800 in cash from the register, according to the documents.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Fox News Digital did not receive a response from the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office by publication deadline.
Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.
Fox News Digital’s Daniel Wallace contributed to this report.
