The Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, has requested that the federal government investigate the citizenship status of nearly half a million registered voters in the state. Paxton sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security asking them to verify the eligibility of these voters to participate in elections.
The request comes after Paxton’s office found evidence of illegal voting by noncitizens in past elections. According to the letter, about 58,000 noncitizens have voted in Texas elections over the past 22 years. This information was gathered through the state’s checking of Department of Public Safety records against voter rolls.
Paxton’s letter also mentioned that these noncitizens are registered to vote in border counties where they could potentially influence the outcome of elections. He expressed concern that illegal voting could undermine the integrity of the electoral process and the confidence of voters in the system.
The request for the federal government to investigate the citizenship status of these registered voters has sparked controversy and drawn criticism from civil rights groups and Democrats. They argue that the move is politically motivated and could lead to voter suppression, particularly among minority communities.
In response to the request, the Department of Homeland Security has not confirmed whether they will comply with Paxton’s demand. The agency typically assists states in verifying voter information, but conducting a large-scale investigation into the citizenship status of half a million registered voters would require significant resources and time.
Overall, Paxton’s request highlights the ongoing concerns about voter fraud and the need to ensure the integrity of elections. It remains to be seen how the federal government will respond to his call for an investigation into the citizenship status of these registered voters.
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