Mullin Warns CA, NJ, NV, PA: Probes or Funding Threats Over Noncitizen Rolls
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned that California, New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania could face investigations or lose election-security funding if they don’t follow the administration’s election-integrity approach tied to claims that noncitizens are appearing on voter rolls.
What Mullin said—and what states could face
In remarks delivered July 17, 2026—one day after President Donald Trump’s primetime election-security address—Mullin said states could lose funding or be investigated if they fail to go along with federal election demands. He urged states to participate in DHS’ recently overhauled Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program and said nonparticipating officials could face fines, penalties, or prison time.
Mullin also pledged to “aggressively monitor public voter lists” to pursue potential voter-fraud cases before and after the 2026 election, and said DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency would release an updated election infrastructure plan within 30 days for states that participate in SAVE.
The claim behind the pressure: 250,000 to 278,000 noncitizens
Mullin and Trump have relied on headline counts tied to the idea that hundreds of thousands of registered voters in four states may be noncitizens. AP reports Mullin repeated Trump’s claim that the federal government found 250,000 noncitizen voters on the rolls in California, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—while AP also reports the DHS investigation used public data that election experts say is not sufficiently detailed to properly identify noncitizens.
Separately, the White House’s “Election Integrity” page says a DHS review of state voter rolls and public records identified approximately 278,000 non-citizens registered to vote in federal elections, arguing the “real number” could be higher because some states refused to share voter files.
Why experts say the numbers don’t prove anyone voted
PolitiFact reports Mullin presented the 250,000 figure as if it were certain, but election experts urged caution. The core dispute is that the underlying comparisons can rely on data sources that are prone to errors and mistaken identity—so officials can end up with false matches when trying to connect people’s registration status to citizenship information.
PolitiFact also emphasizes that the DHS materials described so far do not show whether any of the people identified actually cast ballots—much less whether they affected election outcomes.
What states are likely to do next before November
AP reports election officials in California and Pennsylvania said they would review the administration’s findings but noted they already conduct their own voter-roll maintenance, and that noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare. In Nevada, AP reports the state secretary of state said Nevada is confident in the integrity of its voter file and described ongoing work to keep the rolls clean.
For residents, the most concrete accountability signal will be whether states publish clear, evidence-based explanations of what they checked (or didn’t check) in response to DHS’ claims—and whether any changes to eligibility verification are based on verified findings rather than incomplete matching.
How courts may limit federal SAVE-linked demands
This dispute is also heading into court. The Texas Tribune reports a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s overhaul of SAVE on June 22, 2026, citing privacy and voting-rights concerns, including examples of voters who were actually citizens but were flagged through SAVE.
What to watch next
Before November, watch for (1) whether DHS moves from public threats to formal investigative steps or funding-condition enforcement, and (2) whether additional court rulings further restrict how federal officials can demand or use SAVE-linked citizenship/voter eligibility information.
Sources
- AP News — Mullin threatens states on election security a day after Trump address
- PolitiFact — Fact-checking the 250,000 noncitizen-on-rolls claim
- White House — Election Integrity
- Texas Tribune — Judge blocks feds from using SAVE database for voter eligibility
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