The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has put states on notice that it’s time to clean up their voter rolls and to prioritize voter integrity and election security.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin sent letters to the secretaries of state in California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Nevada warning them about tens of thousands of noncitizens who are illegally on the states’ voter rolls.
DHS has identified more than 250,000 potential noncitizens illegally registered to vote in those four states.
In the letter, Mullin urged state officials to work with the department and respond within two weeks regarding efforts to review voter registration records and “ensure free, fair, and honest elections.”
He also threatened states with fines and criminal charges if they do not comply with election security measures.
“This shouldn’t be a red or blue state issue: ONLY Americans should elect American leaders,” Mullin said in announcing the potentially fraudulent voters. “We’ve put these governors on notice. States must work with us to ensure free, fair, and honest elections.”
Through preliminary reviews of the four states’ records, DHS found that there may be as many as:
- 190,832 noncitizens registered to vote in California.
- 35,152 noncitizens registered to vote in New Jersey.
- 15,903 noncitizens registered to vote in Nevada.
- 14,576 noncitizens registered to vote in Pennsylvania.
President Donald Trump highlighted serious vulnerabilities with electronic voting machines, foreign interference and election integrity during last Thursday’s address to the nation.
Trump said newly declassified intelligence showed Chinese interference in the 2020 election, including obtaining the personal data of 220 million American voters. The documents can be downloaded and reviewed under Election Integrity on whitehouse.gov.
“I’ve also ordered DHS to notify every state about noncitizens on their voter rolls and direct them to remove all ineligible voters from the lists immediately,” President Trump said. “But most importantly, addressing this crisis of election security demands that Congress must pass the SAVE AMERICA ACT.”
In a follow-up news conference on Friday, Mullin added that DHS has worked with proactive states to identify 28,000 noncitizens on their voter rolls, plus 400,000 individuals who are deceased but still registered to vote.
Mullin also said that only 23 states are currently working with DHS on voter‑roll verification efforts, claiming that states declining to participate should explain “why not,” Newsweek reported.
Mullin further alleged that foreign adversaries possess components used in U.S. voting machines and that Iran previously attempted to access military voting systems.
DHS has directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enforce stricter penalties, including deportation, for noncitizens who illegally vote in American elections.
The Immigration and Nationality Act allows for the “removal of aliens who illegally vote or make a false claim to U.S. citizenship, which often go hand-in-hand,” DHS General Counsel James Percival said.
Earlier this month, DHS officials announced two recent cases involving noncitizens who illegally voted in federal elections, which led to criminal charges against them.
On July 1, HSI New Jersey, in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, arrested Marian Charitun, a citizen of Slovakia residing in the United States as a green card holder.
Charitun registered to vote in New Jersey, falsely declaring that he was a United States citizen. He then voted in the 2022 general election, which included an election for the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
Charitun now faces charges of illegally voting in a federal election and making false statements while applying for U.S. citizenship.
Another HSI investigation led to the arrest of Denise Nataly Migliore, a lawful permanent resident from Australia, who is accused of committing voter fraud in Louisiana.
Federal prosecutors allege Migliore falsely claimed U.S. citizenship to register to vote and cast ballots in the 2022 and 2024 elections.
Migliore was indicted last month in the Eastern District of Louisiana on the charges of illegal voting in an election and making false statements in order to register to vote. Migliore was arrested July 1 at the federal courthouse in New Orleans.
“Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences, including criminal charges and deportation. DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said. “Only Americans should be electing American leaders.”
In recent weeks, DHS has taken other steps to protect critical infrastructure and safeguard the integrity of American elections.
DHS has mandated election‑security measures for states seeking federal funds through the Homeland Security Grant Program administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The voluntary grant program distributes over $1 billion of taxpayer funds to state, Tribal Nations, territorial and local governments to prevent and protect against terrorism and other national security threats, including federal electronic voting systems.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are taking decisive action to protect election systems from threats like foreign interference, insider threats, and cyberattacks,” Mullin shared in a news release. “These new requirements for homeland security grant recipients will preserve election integrity and ensure that Americans can trust the results.”
