America First Legal (AFL) has filed a lawsuit against the Maricopa County Recorder on behalf of Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona and Yvonne Cahill, a registered voter and naturalized citizen, for failing to remove foreign citizens from voter rolls.
On July 17, AFL sent letters demanding that election officials in all 15 Arizona counties fulfill their legal obligations to prevent non-citizens from voting. AFL warned that if these demands were not met within a week, it would pursue legal action.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer responded through his attorney, stating he would not take any action. He claimed his office is already complying with laws regarding voter citizenship verification. However, AFL disputes this claim, noting an increase in registered voters without confirmed citizenship and the lack of access to necessary databases for verifying citizenship.
In response, AFL has initiated legal proceedings against Maricopa County. Arizona law mandates county recorders perform monthly maintenance to confirm the citizenship of registered voters who have not provided proof of their citizenship. Federal statutes 8 U.S.C. § 1373(c) and 8 U.S.C. § 1644 allow state and local officials to obtain information about individuals' citizenship or immigration status for lawful purposes.
Stephen Miller, President of America First Legal, stated: “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.”
James Rogers, Senior Counsel at America First Legal, added: “It is against Arizona and federal law for foreign citizens to register to vote. Arizona has adopted first-in-the-nation laws to help make sure foreigners can’t register and also ensure that foreigners already on the voter rolls are removed. Yet those laws have no impact if Arizona’s County Recorders ignore them.”
Rogers further highlighted public concern over election integrity: “A recent survey found that sixty percent of Arizonans ‘are concerned that cheating will affect the outcome of the 2024 election.’ How can Arizonans have confidence in the integrity of their State’s elections when government officials are not even following the law? In another recent survey across six states including Arizona, more than one percent of likely voters said they are not U.S. citizens."
The lawsuit aims to restore public trust by ensuring compliance with election laws and preventing foreign influence on electoral outcomes.