On July 8, 2026, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, led by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, sent letters to election officials across all 50 states and the District of Columbia warning of potential criminal charges if non-U.S. citizens are knowingly permitted to vote or remain on voter registration lists. The letters require states to respond within five days detailing how they will comply with federal voter eligibility laws and maintain "clean voter lists."

Dhillon's letters, reviewed by CBS News, state that any election officer, including chief election officers, who knowingly retains noncitizens on voter rolls or facilitates their voting could face criminal liability. The letters also note that conspiring to deprive people of their constitutional rights is a crime, and that "an intentional act that is aimed at diluting the votes of citizens could also constitute a violation" of federal law.

The Justice Department confirmed the letters and emphasized the request for voluntary compliance to ensure only citizens vote in federal elections. Some states have complied with demands to hand over voter roll data, while the department has sued 30 states and Washington, D.C., for resisting. However, 11 federal courts have dismissed the department's efforts to seize voter rolls.

Among those who acknowledged receiving the letters is Utah Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson. Meanwhile, an Arizona Democrat criticized the implication that local election officials are failing in their duties, calling it "insulting to insinuate that the good people at our county recorders' offices across the state are not doing their jobs correctly."

President Donald Trump and his administration have repeatedly claimed that noncitizen voting is a widespread problem, despite evidence that such instances are extremely rare. Trump has also pushed for legislation, such as the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship for in-person voter registration.

The Civil Rights Division has indicated it intends to share voter roll data with the Department of Homeland Security to screen for non-citizen voters.

Sources