The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday sent a letter to all 50 stateds and the District of Columbia threatening criminal prosecution if they allow noncitizens to vote. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
July 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter warning states that if they allow noncitizens to vote, they could face criminal prosecution.
The seven-page letters were sent Tuesday to all 50 states and the District of Columbia Tuesday and were signed by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who runs the civil rights division. They list election laws that disallow noncitizens from voting, which have been in place for decades.
"The Department sent these letters to all 50 states and the District of Columbia, asking for voluntary compliance in a timely manner with their obligations under federal law to ensure only citizens vote in federal elections," NBC News reported a Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement.
President Donald Trump has pushed the myth that noncitizen voting is widespread, and it has caused diminished trust in the electoral process among his supporters.
