Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton takes on the Biden administration, alleging obstruction in verifying the citizenship of nearly half a million registered voters.
At a Glance
- Ken Paxton sues Biden administration over voter citizenship verification for 450,000 Texas voters
- Lawsuit claims federal government’s inaction threatens election fairness in Texas
- Paxton argues USCIS SAVE program is inadequate for voter citizenship verification
- Texas Secretary of State joins as co-plaintiff in the legal challenge
- Democrats criticize the move as potential voter intimidation
Paxton Takes Legal Action Against Biden Administration
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, accusing it of withholding crucial information needed to verify the citizenship status of approximately 450,000 registered voters in Texas. This bold move underscores the ongoing tension between state and federal authorities over election integrity and voter eligibility.
Talk about election interference!
The lawsuit, which names the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and its Director, Ur Jaddou as defendants, comes at a critical time, just as early voting begins in Texas. Paxton argues that the federal government’s failure to provide the requested information violates federal law and hinders Texas’s ability to ensure free and fair elections.
Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Biden-Harris Administration for Refusing to Verify the Citizenship Status of Potentially Ineligible Voters on Texas Voter Rolls: https://t.co/DuQ74eE2QI
— Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) October 22, 2024
The SAVE Program Controversy
At the heart of this dispute is the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, overseen by the Department of Homeland Security. While the federal government maintains that SAVE is the most secure and efficient way to verify citizenship status, Paxton contends that it is inadequate for the task at hand.
“The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program is the most secure and efficient way to reliably verify an individual’s citizenship or immigration status, including for verification regarding voter registration and/or voter list maintenance,” the agency’s director, Ur M. Jaddou, wrote to Nelson, adding that the agency “currently cannot offer an alternative process to any state,” Ur M. Jaddou, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said in a letter.
This statement from USCIS appears to contradict Texas’s claims that the federal government is not cooperating. However, Paxton insists that the SAVE program falls short of providing the comprehensive data needed to properly vet the voter rolls.
Paxton’s lawsuit focuses on voters who registered without using a Texas-issued driver’s license or ID card. The Attorney General argues that federal law mandates the provision of citizenship information for these individuals. By withholding this data, Paxton claims the Biden administration is obstructing Texas’s efforts to maintain accurate voter rolls.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has refused to comply with federal law, presenting yet another obstacle for Texas to overcome in ensuring free and fair elections in our state. The law demands that they provide important information regarding the citizenship of nearly half a million potentially ineligible voters. Since the Biden-Harris Administration has chosen to ignore the law, I will see them in court,” Paxton said.
While Paxton acknowledges that most individuals whose citizenship status is being checked are likely lawful voters, he emphasizes the importance of verifying every registered voter to maintain the integrity of Texas elections.
Why can’t the Biden admin just do the right thing?
