
Florida has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, accusing federal officials of hindering the state’s efforts to remove noncitizens from its voter rolls. Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the lawsuit, which targets the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for refusing to verify the immigration status of potentially ineligible voters.
According to Moody, the Department of Homeland Security has failed to provide necessary information to help the state confirm whether individuals flagged on its voter rolls are U.S. citizens. Florida is now demanding federal cooperation to ensure only citizens are eligible to vote in its elections.
I am taking legal action against @DHSgov @SecMayorkas for refusing to comply with Florida’s demand to verify immigration records of voters and ensure voter integrity.https://t.co/QBVpdseQXB
— AG Ashley Moody (@AGAshleyMoody) October 17, 2024
“Voting is a right granted to American citizens — not illegal immigrants or other noncitizens,” Moody said in a statement, stressing the need to protect election integrity. The lawsuit claims that Florida has identified a number of individuals on its voter rolls whose citizenship status cannot be verified without the help of the federal government.
Florida Secretary of State Cory Byrd also voiced his support for the lawsuit, arguing that the federal government’s refusal to assist the state has created barriers to ensuring fair elections. “We must ensure that only citizens are on our voter rolls,” Byrd said.
This legal action comes as other states, such as Alabama and Virginia, are also clashing with the Biden administration over voter-roll integrity. The Department of Justice has sued both states for their attempts to remove noncitizens from voter lists, raising questions about the role of federal versus state authority in managing elections.