(Headline USA) Florida officials sued the Biden administration this week for allegedly obstructing their efforts to clean the state’s voter rolls of non-citizens ahead of November’s election.
In the lawsuit, Florida reportedly claimed the Department of Homeland Security has refused to shed light on the immigration status of certain voters. According to federal law, DHS is mandated to respond to inquiries from state or local governments seeking to verify the immigration status of anyone in their jurisdiction for a purpose authorized by law.
Florida alleged it has previously used a DHS program, called the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, program, to verify voters’ immigration status. But this year, despite the fact that Florida’s Department of State has identified a number of individuals who are not citizens, the state has not been able to verify their citizenship status via SAVE.
When Florida officials reached out to DHS directly to request verification, DHS’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services denied their request, the lawsuit adds.
“Because the federal government is refusing to comply with these obligations and frustrating Florida’s ability to maintain the integrity of its elections, Florida files this suit,” the lawsuit says.
Florida pointed out that its “obligation to maintain accurate and current voter registration records” is even more pressing given the millions of illegal aliens let into the country by the Biden administration.
“Voting is a right granted to American citizens — not illegal immigrants or other noncitizens. The Biden-Harris administration has allowed millions of illegal immigrants into the country, and we must ensure that only citizens are on our voter rolls,” Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a statement.
“I am taking legal action against the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Mayorkas to ensure Florida is able to maintain the integrity of our state’s voter rolls.”
