The conservative watchdog organization America First Legal is taking legal action against an Arizona county for allegedly failing to remove numerous illegal immigrants from its voter registration lists.
“America First Legal is spearheading efforts to prevent illegal aliens from casting ballots in 2024,” declared AFL president Stephen Miller in a statement. “In blatant disregard of state law, Maricopa County is refusing to purge illegal alien voters from its rolls. We are responding with firm action: we are suing Maricopa County for unlawfully allowing illegal aliens and foreign citizens to influence the 2024 election.”
The lawsuit was filed on Monday night on behalf of the nonprofit Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona and Yvonne Cahill, a registered voter and naturalized citizen residing in Maricopa County. This move follows AFL’s ultimatum to Maricopa County to rectify the situation regarding the alleged illegal voters within one week.
ARIZONA ELECTION WORKER ACCUSED OF STEALING SECURITY DEVICE WAS HIRED DESPITE FELONY THEFT ARREST MONTHS PRIOR
A voter submits a ballot at a secure drop box located at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix, Nov. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, represented by his attorney, announced that no actions would be taken, citing compliance with existing laws.
The lawsuit states that more than 35,000 registered voters in Arizona lacked proof of citizenship as of April 2024, rendering them eligible to vote only in federal elections, as reported by the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.
It asserts that Arizona’s voter registration system establishes a distinction between those who provide proof of citizenship (DPOC) and those who do not. Under Arizona law, DPOC is mandatory for state and local elections; however, a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court indicates that the federal voter registration form does not impose this requirement, resulting in a dichotomous system where voters using the federal form—designated as Federal-Only Voters—can only vote in federal elections.
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A temporary election worker was filmed allegedly stealing a security device from the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on June 20, 2024. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
“The number of Federal-Only Voters in Maricopa County is growing each month,” asserts the lawsuit.
In 2022, Arizona introduced two laws that imposed more stringent requirements for maintaining voter lists for Federal-Only Voters. These laws require county recorders to perform monthly checks to validate citizenship and to review newly registered Federal-Only Voters within ten days.
The lawsuit claims, “Recorder Richer has not carried out the mandatory list maintenance.”
Maricopa County has been at the center of numerous debates surrounding election integrity and protocols since the 2020 election. As a crucial battleground, it has faced claims of extensive voter fraud, including allegations of mishandling ballots and voting machine issues. However, these claims have typically been rejected by courts and election officials.
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Bill Gates, chairman of the Maricopa Board of Supervisors, addresses voting machine issues at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Nov. 8, 2022, in Phoenix, Arizona. (John Moore/Getty Images)
In June, a temporary election worker in Maricopa County was recorded on surveillance video allegedly stealing a “digital magnetic key” from a tabulation center, as revealed by court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. Previously, he had been arrested for allegedly stealing a total of $1,800 in cash from a register while working at a nearby grocery store, according to the documents.
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Fox News Digital did not receive a response from the Maricopa County Recorder’s office prior to the publication deadline.
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Contributions to this report were made by Danielle Wallace of Fox News Digital.
