{"id":2343818,"date":"2024-09-20T09:14:12","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T13:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-secretary-of-state-requests-citizenship-data-from-feds-to-secure-voter-rolls-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-20T09:17:44","modified_gmt":"2024-09-20T13:17:44","slug":"texas-secretary-of-state-requests-citizenship-data-from-feds-to-secure-voter-rolls-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-secretary-of-state-requests-citizenship-data-from-feds-to-secure-voter-rolls-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Secretary of State requests citizenship data from feds to secure voter rolls &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftexas-secretary-of-state-requests-citizenship-data-from-feds-to-secure-voter-rolls-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2343818&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Texas \u2064Secretary of \u2062State Jane Nelson has formally requested citizenship data from \u200cthe Biden administration to enhance the security of voter rolls in\u200d Texas. In her letter\u2063 to \u200bthe director of\u2064 the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Nelson emphasizes the importance of ensuring that only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nicaragua-socialist-daniel-ortega-wins-worst-possible-election-with-75-of-votes\/\" title=\"Nicaragua: Socialist Daniel Ortega &#039;Wins&#039; &#039;Worst Possible Election&#039; with 75% of Votes\">eligible voters participate<\/a> in elections, highlighting existing \u2062federal and state laws that prohibit noncitizens from voting. She \u2064aims \u200cto \u2062obtain current citizenship status\u2062 information for certain voters who have\u2063 not validated their citizenship through state agencies. This request aligns with \u200dGovernor Greg Abbott&#8217;s call for clean elections, asserting that\u2062 transparency \u200dfrom the \u2063federal government is essential.\u200c Attorney General Ken Paxton supports Nelson&#8217;s efforts, expressing challenges states face in verifying \u2063the citizenship of voter registrants \u200cdue to federal regulations.\u2064 Nelson intends to utilize the requested data to \u200cassist\u200d county registrars \u200din preventing non-citizen voting while complying with\u200c legal requirements.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Texas Secretary of State requests citizenship data from feds to secure voter rolls<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1765112\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson has requested information from the Biden administration &ldquo;to provide citizenship data to help Texas maintain secure voter rolls.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;Texas demands this information. The federal government must stop hiding the ball. We must have clean elections where only eligible voters cast votes,&rdquo; Gov. Greg Abbott said in a&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/GregAbbott_TX\/status\/1836547659059864018\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;supporting Nelson&rsquo;s request.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, she sent a&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TXsecofstate\/status\/1836506824524152843\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">letter<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;to the director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requesting citizenship and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-new-florida-budget-includes-millions-to-begin-deporting-illegal-aliens-out-of-florida\/\" title=\"DeSantis\u2019 New Florida Budget Includes Millions To Begin Deporting Illegal Aliens Out Of Florida\">immigration status information<\/a> to ensure noncitizens are not voting in Texas.<\/p>\n<p>The letter cites federal and state law prohibiting noncitizens from voting and laws requiring Texas to perform voter roll maintenance. Federal law requires the USCIS to provide information &ldquo;regarding the citizenship and immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual.&rdquo; It also requires the Immigration and Naturalization Service to verify or &ldquo;ascertain the citizenship or immigration status of any individual within the jurisdiction of the agency for any purpose authorized by law, by providing the requested verification or status information.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In other words, states may request citizenship information, and USCIS must provide it,&rdquo; the letter states.<\/p>\n<p>Nelson requested current citizenship or immigration status information from USCIS for certain individuals who are registered to vote in Texas but have not yet validated their citizenship through DPS or another state agency in Texas. Once her office receives the information from USCIS, it will provide data to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/greg-abbott-touts-over-a-million-ineligible-people-removed-from-texas-voter-rolls-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Greg Abbott touts over a million \u2018ineligible\u2019 people removed from Texas voter rolls - Washington Examiner\">county voter registrars<\/a> to prevent non-citizens from voting, consistent with federal and state law, she said.<\/p>\n<p>She requested assistance in verifying or ascertaining the citizenship or immigration status of certain individuals registered to vote in Texas, saying that her office &ldquo;is in the process of compiling a list of people on Texas&rsquo; voter rolls whose citizenship cannot be verified using existing state sources.&rdquo; She asked for the information to be provided by Oct. 2.<\/p>\n<p>On the same day, Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.texasattorneygeneral.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/press\/Letter%20to%20Texas%20Secretary%20of%20State.pdf?utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">letter<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;to Nelson encouraging her to request the information, saying his office &ldquo;stands ready to assist you in this effort however we can.&rdquo; The letter was also sent to the governor and lieutenant governor.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Federal law has made it nearly impossible for states to verify the citizenship of voter-registration applicants,&rdquo; Paxton said. &ldquo;Although it is a crime for a non-citizen to register to vote, federal law restricts states from requiring proof of citizenship, and state agencies like those we lead have limited means to verify voter citizenship in many cases.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He also sent a draft letter to UCIS for Nelson to consider sending. The letters appear to be nearly identical in content although hers has a different paragraph order and is shorter.<\/p>\n<p>It remains unclear why the letter was sent just two months before the November election or if previous requests were made and USCIS didn&rsquo;t respond. It also remains unclear when and if the Secretary of State&rsquo;s Office under Nelson or previous secretaries requested citizenship and immigration information in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-jd-vance-drops-fiery-take-on-kamalas-lead-says-harris-doesnt-like-her-numbers-in-newest-interview\/\" title=\"Watch: JD Vance Drops Fiery Take on Kamala&#039;s Lead, Says Harris &#039;Doesn&#039;t Like Her Numbers&#039; in Newest Interview\">previous election years<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Nelson&rsquo;s press office did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<p>The letter comes after Nelson&rsquo;s office, working with county governments, removed more than 1.1 million names from the voters rolls, including more than 6,500 potential noncitizens, The Center Square&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/texas\/article_88c40a58-63ba-11ef-8395-47ae3c7ecc80.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a><\/strong>. Among them, approximately 1,930 have a voter history, according to the data, and their information was sent to the Texas Attorney General&rsquo;s Office for investigation and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/monday-november-1st-2021\/\" title=\"Monday | November 1st, 2021\">potential legal action<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1765112\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1765112\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson has asked the Biden administration for citizenship data to help ensure the integrity of voter rolls in Texas. Governor Greg Abbott expressed support for this request, emphasizing the need for clean elections where only eligible voters participate. On Wednesday, Nelson sent a letter to the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) seeking information on citizenship and immigration status to prevent noncitizens from voting in Texas. The letter references both federal and state laws that prohibit noncitizen voting and mandate voter roll maintenance.<\/p>\n<p>Federal law obligates USCIS to provide information regarding an individual&#8217;s citizenship or immigration status upon request from states. In her letter, Nelson specifically requested current citizenship or immigration status details for certain individuals registered to vote in Texas who have not yet confirmed their citizenship through state agencies like the Department of Public Safety (DPS). Once her office receives this information, it will share it with county voter registrars to ensure compliance with federal and state laws.<\/p>\n<p>Nelson&#8217;s request was made as part of an effort to compile a list of individuals on Texas&#8217; voter rolls whose citizenship cannot be verified using existing state resources, with a deadline set for October 2nd. Attorney General Ken Paxton also supported her initiative by sending a letter encouraging her request and offering assistance from his office.<\/p>\n<p>Paxton noted that federal regulations make it challenging for states to verify the citizenship status of voter registration applicants despite it being illegal for noncitizens to register. He provided a draft letter that closely resembled Nelson&#8217;s correspondence but was shorter and had different paragraph arrangements.<\/p>\n<p>The timing of this request\u2014just two months before the November election\u2014raises questions about whether previous requests were made without response from USCIS or if there have been past efforts by either Nelson or previous secretaries regarding obtaining such data during prior election cycles. Additionally, recent actions by Nelson\u2019s office resulted in over 1.1 million names being removed from voter rolls, including more than 6,500 potential noncitizens; approximately 1,930 among them had previously voted and their cases were referred to the Attorney General\u2019s Office for further investigation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2343819,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AP24018731871347.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[41320,35945,3694,32643,32076],"class_list":["post-2343818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-citizenship-data","tag-secretary-of-state","tag-texas","tag-voter-rolls","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AP24018731871347.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2343818"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343818\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2343819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2343818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2343818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2343818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}