Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
A multi-state settlement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will require the federal government to modernize its citizenship verification tools to prevent non-citizens from voting in U.S. elections, according to a Wednesday announcement by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales.
The agreement, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, stipulates that DHS will make upgrades to its Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program, which is an online service for government agencies to verify an individual’s immigration status. The improvements include:
- Free verification services for all state and local governments
- Integration with the Social Security Administration to allow for verification using full Social Security numbers or the last four digits of SSNs as identifiers
- Bulk upload capabilities to process verifications efficiently, eliminating the need for one-by-one manual entries
- Enhanced data outputs, including data identifying supporting documentation that confirms verification results
According to the announcement by the Republican leaders in Indiana, federal records confirm at least 165 non-citizens registered to vote in Indiana, with at least 21 casting ballots in recent elections.
The settlement resolves a 2024 lawsuit brought by four Republican states—Indiana, Florida, Ohio and Iowa—as part of a greater effort by conservatives to curb non-citizen voting, which elections experts have previously said is not a widespread issue in the country.
The Indiana Democratic Party did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“From day one, many individuals dismissed our work as a ‘witch hunt’—but the facts speak for themselves: non-citizen voting is real here in our state, and even one illegal ballot undermines the trust we are told to have in our election processes and even the Republic itself,” Rokita said in a statement. “This settlement delivers the federal access we’re entitled to under law, allowing the Secretary of State to swiftly remove ineligible voters from the rolls and fortify our system against future risks. Indiana’s elections will be more transparent, fairer and more secure as a result.”
The announcement did not specify which elections those 21 noncitizens had cast their ballots in. According to Indiana Secretary of State data, nearly 1.9 million voters cast a ballot in 2022’s general election.
“As a naturalized citizen, I deeply understand the privilege and responsibility that comes with the right to vote,” Morales said in a statement. “This landmark settlement provides Indiana with long-overdue tools to protect the integrity of our elections. Hoosiers deserve absolute confidence that every lawful vote counts and that our voter rolls are accurate and secure. I am grateful for President Trump’s leadership and his administration’s commitment to upholding election integrity.”
According to the Wednesday announcement, as part of the agreement, Indiana will enter into a new Information Sharing Agreement and updated Memorandum of Agreement with DHS within 90 days to “streamline data exchange.”
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.