Trump administration claims 250K noncitizens registered in four states

Trump administration claims 250K noncitizens registered in four states

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and President Donald Trump have alleged that more than a quarter of a million noncitizens are registered to vote across California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Nevada. The claims, amplified during a primetime address to the nation on Thursday, focus on election security and the purported vulnerability of U.S. Voter rolls.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a preliminary review identified as many as 190,832 potential noncitizen registrations in California, 35,152 in New Jersey, 15,903 in Nevada and 14,576 in Pennsylvania. Secretary Mullin sent letters to the secretaries of state in those four jurisdictions on Friday, urging them to collaborate with DHS to verify these identities by July 24.

The administration's total figure of approximately 278,000 noncitizens includes an additional 28,000 individuals identified across 23 states that utilized an overhauled centralized federal database known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement, or SAVE. This system draws on records from the Social Security Administration and DHS.

Methodology and Disputes

The 250,000 estimate for the four non-compliant states was based on an analysis of commercial and public databases. In Pennsylvania, for example, DHS identified 8,594 registered voters whose names, dates of birth, addresses and Social Security numbers matched records associated with noncitizens. However, the department did not explain the gap between that specific match and the larger estimate of 14,576 for the state.

Election experts and state officials have questioned the accuracy of these findings. David Becker, founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, stated that using commercial databases likely leads to false positives and significantly overestimates noncitizens on voter rolls.

"I guarantee you, that data includes a ton of people, maybe even a majority of people, who are absolutely eligible voters, and states would probably be breaking the law if they remove those voters from the rolls,"

David Becker, executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, via CBS News

Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, a Democrat, refuted the allegations, calling the numbers wildly speculative at best. He noted that of Nevada's 2.1 million active registered voters, only 138 did not provide a Social Security number or state driver's license during registration, and those individuals may have used other acceptable identification.

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt, a Republican, asserted that the state's rolls are properly maintained and updated, though he said Pennsylvania would review any information provided by DHS.

Federal Crackdown and Legal Challenges

The claims underpin a broader effort by the Trump administration to expand federal oversight of elections. The president is pressuring Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require photo ID to cast a ballot and in-person proof of citizenship for registration. He has also signed executive orders to tighten mail-in ballot rules and require documentary proof of citizenship for federal registration, though these have been blocked by courts.

The Justice Department has filed lawsuits against 30 states and the District of Columbia to force the handover of unredacted voter rolls, including names and partial Social Security numbers. To date, 16 of those lawsuits have been dismissed.

Secretary Mullin has warned that election officials who decline to adopt DHS verification methods could face fines or prison time. He also alleged that foreign adversaries possess components used in U.S. Voting machines and that Iran previously attempted to access military voting systems.

Context of Noncitizen Voting

While the administration focuses on these figures, data from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission indicates that the 250,000 claimed noncitizens represent roughly 0.1% of all registered voters nationwide. In the 2024 general election, there were more than 211 million active registered voters.

Other state-led audits have found far fewer instances of noncitizen registration:

Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, and no state allows them to vote in statewide contests. Only municipalities in three states and the District of Columbia permit noncitizen voting in local elections, such as school boards.

The administration now awaits responses from the four targeted states by July 24 to begin sharing immigration records for verification.