An upcoming Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report indicates that at least 278,000 noncitizens are registered to vote in U.S. federal elections, a number President Donald Trump is expected to announce during a primetime speech on election security Thursday evening. The figure represents the highest publicly reported number of noncitizen registrants in U.S. history, according to a source familiar with the forthcoming report.
It remains unclear from the available information how many of these registered noncitizens may have illegally voted or what actions the administration intends to take. U.S. law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, with penalties including a year in jail and a fine. However, the responsibility for verifying voter eligibility typically falls to individual states.
The number released by DHS reflects only those noncitizens registered in states that have been reviewed to date, and the source indicated that more states may be included in the final report. The administration has reportedly been tight-lipped about the exact contents of Trump's speech, though White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed it would focus on election security and stated that the revelations would be "shocking."
Trump is expected to use the DHS findings to advocate for the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require proof of citizenship for voting and implement other election reforms. This bill, considered a top legislative priority for Trump, has previously faced challenges in Congress, including a Democratic filibuster in the Senate. The president may urge Americans to contact their lawmakers to support its passage.
This development follows a recent warning from the Department of Justice, which sent letters to election officials nationwide cautioning that they "could be criminally prosecuted for aiding noncitizen voting" if such ballots are counted. Leavitt emphasized the importance of election security, stating, "If we don’t have safe and secure elections in our country, we cannot have a country." She also noted that the law criminalizing noncitizen voting, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, was signed into law by former President Bill Clinton.
Additionally, reports suggest Trump may also present allegations that Beijing "compromised US voter data" and that the CIA was aware of this action without informing the president at the time. The White House has issued a general denial of such speculative reports.
Leavitt stated on Thursday that "anonymous sources are speculating about what President Trump will say during his speech on Thursday evening," adding, "The truth is, nobody knows yet what President Trump will ultimately say, which is why everyone should tune in."