The Republican Paxton claimed that the Biden-Harris administration was under “legal obligations” to provide the data so that the Lone Star state could assist in establishing the citizenship status of some registered voters who do not possess a driver’s license or identification card issued by the state of Texas, as those are only obtained following citizen checks.
While they are legally present but cannot vote, non-citizens of the United States may legitimately apply for and obtain an ID card or driver’s license.
Paxton said he is investigating those registered voters so Texas can be in compliance with federal and state election laws which prohibit non-U.S. citizens from voting. He penned his letter Monday to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur Jaddou.
I demand full cooperation from the federal government to ensure that any noncitizens remaining on Texas’s voter registration rolls are identified,” Paxton said in a statement. “The Biden-Harris Administration is legally obligated to assist States in doing so, and it is imperative that we use every tool available to uphold the integrity of our elections.”
Paxton said that while it is a crime for noncitizens to register to vote, federal law paradoxically creates opportunities for non-citizens to illegally register to vote while also prohibiting states from requiring voters to have proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.