The attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer in the entire country. But he’s letting very worrying things fly.
And an election security scandal just broke and now Merrick Garland is in the hot seat.
Dozens of lawmakers in the House and Senate are demanding answers from the Justice Department, expressing alarm over its apparent lack of action in combating noncitizen voting in federal elections — a glaring issue they call a “serious threat” to the integrity of America’s elections.
Citing officials from multiple states who have discovered noncitizens on their voter rolls, the lawmakers are raising concerns that Merrick Garland’s Justice Department is failing to enforce crucial election laws.
A letter spearheaded by Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and signed by 73 lawmakers, was sent to Attorney General Garland, expressing deep frustration.
They pointed out that they had received no response from a July inquiry regarding noncitizen voting and the DOJ’s efforts to address it.
“As of today, there has been no response from you or your Department regarding the inquiry on July 12, 2024,” the letter states.
With the 2024 Presidential Election less than 34 days away, the lawmakers expressed concern that Garland’s department remains silent on how it plans to protect election integrity, calling the inaction “especially alarming.”
The legislators demanded specifics — how many noncitizens have been prosecuted under laws prohibiting noncitizen voting, and what measures the DOJ is taking to prevent this illegal activity.
Noncitizens voting is strictly forbidden, and Republicans, including former President Trump, have consistently voiced concerns, especially given the influx of illegal immigration across the southern border.
In August, Republicans pushed for the SAVE Act, aimed at requiring states to secure proof of citizenship in person before voter registration and mandating that noncitizens be removed from voter rolls.
But with Garland’s Justice Department showing little enthusiasm for addressing this critical issue, lawmakers are left questioning whether the Biden administration is committed to upholding the sanctity of federal elections.
The lawmakers underscored their concerns by pointing to specific cases: Virginia identified 6,303 noncitizens on its voter rolls between 2022 and 2023, and Texas had removed 6,500 noncitizens from its rolls — 1,930 of whom had a history of voting.
The DOJ, in a rare instance of action, recently charged an illegal immigrant for stealing a U.S. citizen’s identity to vote in multiple elections and fraudulently obtaining a U.S. passport.
“Clearly, there is a non-negligible amount of voter participation by non-citizens in federal elections, which is not only a serious threat to the integrity of our elections and the democratic process they represent, but also has the potential to reduce Americans’ trust and confidence in election results,” the lawmakers emphasized.
Yet, Garland’s DOJ seems more focused on going after states trying to safeguard their elections.
This week, the department sued Alabama, accusing the state of removing noncitizens from its voter rolls too close to Election Day.
Instead of applauding Alabama’s efforts to secure their elections, the DOJ claimed the state violated the National Voter Registration Act, which prohibits changes to voter rolls within 90 days of a federal election.
Merrick Garland’s failure to address the crucial issue of noncitizen voting continues to spark frustration among lawmakers and raises serious doubts about the DOJ’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the upcoming presidential election.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
