DOJ threatens Arizona election officials with prosecution over noncitizen voting

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday threatened to criminally prosecute Arizona election officials if noncitizens are found on the state’s voter rolls.

In a letter reportedly sent to all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon warned that any election officer who “knowingly retains noncitizens” on voter registration lists “could be subject to criminal liability.”

Officials were given five days to explain how they are complying with federal election laws.

In a video statement Tuesday, Dhillon framed the effort as routine oversight, noting the DOJ is also sending election monitors to 15 jurisdictions in six states, including Arizona, for the upcoming primaries.

We @TheJusticeDept are proud to safeguard every American’s right to vote — and we will continue routine, nonpartisan election monitoring that’s been standard under both Republican & Democrat administrations for decades.
We enforce the law equally. Stay tuned for more! pic.twitter.com/OjSkct9LDU

— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) July 7, 2026

“It’s also important to make sure that our voting is accurate so that every citizen who votes has their vote counted equally without being canceled out by somebody who shouldn’t be voting,” Dhillon said.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, called the letter political intimidation.

“It is insulting to insinuate that the good people at our county recorders’ offices across the state are not doing their jobs correctly,” Fontes said in a statement. “We will continue following Arizona law not directions that come from political rhetoric or intimidation.”

Fontes’ office noted that Arizona already has some of the strongest voter registration laws in the nation, requiring officials to verify citizenship using multiple state and federal databases.

State officials directed more than $2 million in additional funding to help counties maintain accurate voter rolls.

The letter is the latest clash between the Trump administration and state election officials over voter data. Fontes has previously refused DOJ demands to turn over Arizona’s voter registration records, arguing it would violate privacy laws.

The DOJ letter does not change Arizona law or election officials’ existing legal responsibilities, Fontes’ office said.

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