Republicans intensify noncitizen voting concerns as Trump escalates midterm election claims

President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are intensifying focus on noncitizen voting claims ahead of the 2026 midterms. While experts emphasize that noncitizen voting is extremely rare, recent incidents fuel the debate. In New Jersey, Governor Mikie Sherrill confirmed that a system error improperly registered 6,600 noncitizens, though fewer than 400 voted. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors in California charged Honduran national Darwin Jonathan Rivera-Flores with illegal registration, signaling broader scrutiny.

Trump noncitizen voting claims

• ▪President Donald Trump is pushing the U.S. Postal Service to send mail ballots only to voters verified as U.S. citizens ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections.
• ▪The U.S. Department of Homeland Security claimed without providing evidence that 250,000 noncitizens might be on the voter rolls across four states.

Census Bureau methodology flaws

• ▪A Census Bureau report cited by President Donald Trump claimed a preliminary analysis found 24,000 noncitizens voted illegally in the 2020 election.
• ▪Loyola Marymount University law professor Justin Levitt stated the Census Bureau report lacked typical details regarding error rates and could generate voter distrust.

New Jersey voter registration scandal

• ▪New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill disclosed that approximately 6,600 noncitizens were improperly registered to vote through the state's motor vehicle system in 2023 and 2024.
• ▪Governor Mikie Sherrill stated that fewer than 400 of the 6,600 improperly registered noncitizens in New Jersey had actually cast ballots.

California illegal registration case

• ▪Honduran national Darwin Jonathan Rivera-Flores was arrested and charged in California with illegally registering to vote on November 4, 2025.
• ▪Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli characterized the arrest of Darwin Jonathan Rivera-Flores as the first of many to come in California.

Republican congressional investigations

• ▪Representative Jeff Van Drew is planning a congressional hearing through the House Judiciary Committee’s Oversight Subcommittee regarding New Jersey's voter registration errors.
• ▪Representative August Pfluger accused Governor Mikie Sherrill of dodging questions on whether any elections were decided by fewer votes than the number of illegal ballots cast.

Election integrity debate context

• ▪A 2025 University of Maryland study estimates that 21.3 million eligible voters in the United States lack ready access to documents proving their citizenship.
• ▪The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which requires documented proof of citizenship to register to vote, passed the House but remains stalled in the Senate.

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