Story perspectives

DHS Flags 250K Suspect Voters; Judge Blocks Database Checks

7/20/2026

Summary

Story summary

DHS warned that 250,000 potential non-citizen voters—190,832 in California, 35,152 in New Jersey, 15,903 in Nevada and 14,576 in Pennsylvania—are on rolls and said non-cooperation could trigger fines or prison.
Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin sent letters to officials in the four states requesting a response by July 30.
A federal judge barred DHS from using the SAVE database for voter-roll checks, prompting state officials to call the numbers speculative.

History

Historical Context

The 1993 National Voter Registration Act, effective 1995, expanded state registration practices that began in Massachusetts in 1800 and Nebraska’s permanent register in 1913. It instituted the motor-voter system that feeds DHS’s SAVE database, which Secretary Markwayne Mullin used to flag about 250,000 alleged non-citizen voters. A 2024 federal injunction against SAVE mirrors earlier court limits on voter-purge efforts such as Ohio’s 2016-2018 case.

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Story summary

DHS warned that 250,000 potential non-citizen voters—190,832 in California, 35,152 in New Jersey, 15,903 in Nevada and 14,576 in Pennsylvania—are on rolls and said non-cooperation could trigger fines or prison.
Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin sent letters to officials in the four states requesting a response by July 30.
A federal judge barred DHS from using the SAVE database for voter-roll checks, prompting state officials to call the numbers speculative.

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