Concerns have arisen after it was revealed that illegal immigrant Ian Andre Roberts was registered to vote in Maryland. Lauren Alican, a Republican and member of the Maryland Freedom Caucus, detailed how this occurred.
Alican noted that Maryland’s policies permit illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, which she argues creates an environment where they can, in a way, validate their presence in the U.S. “We give driver’s licenses to people who are not legally here. The Freedom Caucus opposes this, but it’s the state’s policy, so it’s simple for someone to sign up and register to vote,” she explained.
In Maryland, illegal immigrants receive what are termed “non-compliant” driver’s licenses and ID cards. Alican mentioned that while applying for these licenses through the Motor Vehicle Bureau, applicants, including undocumented individuals, can check a box that registers them to vote.
Instead of verifying citizenship formally, Maryland relies on the information provided by applicants themselves. This means someone like Roberts could easily register by demonstrating he met the state’s criteria. “He basically just needs to show a local address,” she added.
Roberts was detained by ICE on a fugitive warrant. He had previously held a position as a school superintendent in Des Moines, Iowa, before his legal troubles came to light.
Interestingly, after his arrest, it was found that Roberts had been registered as an active Democrat voter in Maryland. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Jared Demarinis from the Maryland Election Commission affirmed that the registration process involves a level of personal accountability on the part of the registrants. He noted that while individuals should not misrepresent themselves, election officials depend on the information those individuals provide.
Despite the concerns raised, Demarinis assured that the maintenance of Maryland’s voter registration list is reliable. He emphasized that accidental registration while ineligible is not classified as a crime under state law. Furthermore, he emphasized the sacred nature of the voting right and indicated that the office won’t disenfranchise voters based on partial evidence.
In light of Roberts’ situation, Demarinis stated a review of public records didn’t conclusively link a voter named Ian Andre Roberts to any voting activity. He also cited Maryland laws that safeguard personal identification information from being publicly disclosed.
In reaction, Alican expressed alarm over the prospect of illegal voters in Maryland. “My experience with the MVA is that they ask very clearly if you’re eligible and put you under perjury penalties,” she said.
Describing the discovery of illegal registration as “absolutely the tip of the iceberg,” Alican remarked that it’s troubling that someone could enter false information into the system. “We need to figure out if it was Roberts or an MVA employee involved,” she stated.
She concluded with a warning that this could be a larger issue, asserting, “We’ll keep investigating to uncover how many people may be registered that shouldn’t be.”
