A federal judge on Wednesday ordered Alabama officials to end a program aimed at removing noncitizens from the state’s voter rolls, dealing a blow to local efforts to prevent noncitizens from participating in elections.
Alabama and the Alabama Secretary of State will halt efforts to remove noncitizens from the state’s voter rolls between now and the November 5 election, quickly restoring many of the voters already lost. We must provide guidance to counties within the state. Off, according to order Issued by U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco for the Northern District of Alabama. Manasco was appointed to the court by former President Donald Trump in May 2020. (Related: Biden Justice Department charges police for not making application process easy enough for women and minorities)
“This action sends a clear message that the Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that the rights of voters are protected,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. press release. “The Department of Justice remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting voters from unlawful removal from registration rolls and ensuring states comply with their federal law obligations.”
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 12: Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen testifies during a Senate Rules and Administration Committee hearing at the Russell Senate Office Building at the Capitol on March 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. do. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
This was announced by Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen (Republican). in august His office said it had identified 3,251 people in the state who were registered to vote but also had been issued non-citizen identification numbers by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At the time, Allen directed county officials to immediately take the necessary steps to remove all noncitizens from voter rolls. (Related: Battleground state sues for concealing names of more than 200,000 registered voters who did not provide proof of citizenship)
“I have made it clear that I will not tolerate non-citizens participating in elections,” Allen said at the time. “We have reviewed current voter files to identify those on the list who have been issued non-citizen identification numbers.”
On September 27, the Department of Justice (DOJ) charged Allen and the state of Alabama with violating the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 because the Secretary of State’s voter roll maintenance plan purged voters within 90 days of an election. filed a lawsuit against. federal elections, according to a Department of Justice press release.
The judge’s injunction halts Allen’s voter purge program until after Election Day for falsely placing legally registered voters on a list of voters who may have been registered illegally, according to court documents. It is something to do.
In response to the order, Allen said his office would comply with the order, but vowed to continue protecting the integrity of elections.
“My ability to comment is limited because this case is still ongoing,” Allen told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Wednesday. “Earlier today, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction. We intend to comply with the federal court’s order.”
“I have a constitutional obligation to ensure that only eligible American citizens vote in elections,” he continued. “State and federal law is clear that only eligible American citizens can vote in elections, and today’s order does not change that.”
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