Conservative group America First Legal is suing Arizona's Maricopa county for allegedly refusing to remove thousands of illegal immigrants from its voter rolls. The suit challenges the registration of voters who signed up for federal races without providing proof of citizenship and looks to force election officials to take extra steps to verify the citizenship status of about 26,000 voters.
This development comes just weeks after demand letters were sent by the organization to all 15 Arizona counties threatening legal action amidst a crucial voter registration period ahead of the presidential elections.
In Arizona, voter registration forms generally require an attestation of U.S. citizenship under penalty of perjury, but state law also demands documentary proof such as a birth certificate, passport, or other specified documents. Of the state's 4.1 million registered voters, about 42,000 have not provided this proof, leading to a dual-track voting system, as reported by AZ Central.
Despite these existing checks, which include cross-referencing voter registration with databases from the U.S. Social Security Administration, the U.S. Postal Service, and other state and county agencies, America First Legal argues that these measures are insufficient.
The lawsuit accuses Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer of failing to adequately maintain voter lists and suggests that county officials should directly request citizenship information from the Department of Homeland Security under federal codes.
In a statement published in America First Legal's official site, the organization's president expressed the motivation behind the lawsuit:
"America First Legal is leading the charge to keep illegal aliens from voting in 2024. Maricopa County, in direct violation of state law, is refusing to remove illegal alien voters from the rolls. We are taking decisive action: suing Maricopa County for unlawfully permitting illegal aliens and foreign citizens to interfere in the 2024 election."
Maricopa County Recorder's Office spokesperson Sierra Ciaramella defended the office's practices to AZ Central:
"Under Recorder Stephen Richer, voter list maintenance has remained a top priority, removing more than 400,000 voters from the rolls since January 2021. As an administrative office, we will continue to follow the letter of the law."
This lawsuit is part of a broader legal struggle over voter registration requirements in Arizona. GOP legislative leaders and national Republicans have been appealing a federal judge's decision that blocked parts of two laws passed in 2022, which required proof of citizenship to register to vote. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Arizonans could register for federal races without needing to prove citizenship. Republican officials have since vowed to seek an emergency stay from the U.S. Supreme Court.
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