Trump order leads to investigation of 33 potential incidents of noncitizen voting, AG Paxton says

An executive order from President Donald Trump opened up records that led to the identification of more than two dozen incidents where noncitizens may have illegally voted in the 2024 election.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement Tuesday that 33 cases of potential illegal voting were referred to his office by Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson.

'Noncitizens must not be allowed to influence American elections, and I will use the full weight of my office to investigate all voter fraud.'

Paxton said that the data was discovered as a result of Trump opening up access to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s SAVE Database to the states. Nelson used the database to identify the 33 cases.

She said that having access to the database was a "game changer" for the mission of her office.

"Not only have we been able to identify individuals who should not have voted in the last election, we have also been able to confirm naturalization of dozens more," Nelson explained.

The database is compiled by the federal government to confirm the citizenship status of those who are applying for benefits or licenses.

“Noncitizens must not be allowed to influence American elections, and I will use the full weight of my office to investigate all voter fraud,” said Attorney General Paxton in a written statement.

“In order to be able to trust the integrity of our elections, the results must be determined by our own citizens — not foreign nationals breaking the law to illegally vote," he added. "These potential instances of unlawful voting will be thoroughly investigated, and I will continue to stand with President Trump in fighting to ensure that our state’s elections are safe and secure.”

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Photo by Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Trump's executive order in February directed state officials to improve their policies in order to ensure illegal aliens are not abusing the social safety net.

"We are stewards of taxpayer dollars, and it is our duty to ensure states confirm the identity and verify the immigration status of SNAP applicants," wrote Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in a statement at the time. "USDA's nutrition programs are intended to support the most vulnerable Americans. To allow those who broke our laws by entering the United States illegally to receive these benefits is outrageous."

Paxton is running to unseat Republican Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) in the Republican primary. Cornyn has been in the U.S. Senate for 23 years and is 73 years old.

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