New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill blasted the Trump administration while releasing findings on thousands of improperly registered noncitizen voters -- and disputed DHS claims that the state agreed to cooperate.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill attacked the Trump administration Wednesday even as her own investigation confirmed that thousands of noncitizens were improperly placed on the state's voter rolls -- the latest escalation in a scandal federal officials say could reach far beyond the 35,000 potential cases already flagged by the Department of Homeland Security. The standoff pits Sherrill's refusal to cooperate with federal election integrity efforts against a Trump administration push to clean up New Jersey's rolls before the November midterms.
The governor's office released findings from its probe of the Motor Vehicle Commission registration error while simultaneously disputing DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin's claim that the state had agreed to work with his agency on the problem.
Sherrill's office said Wednesday that roughly 5,100 improper registrations had been placed in deleted status, with thousands more still under review. The governor framed the release as a demonstration of accountability, saying her administration has moved aggressively to fix an error at the Motor Vehicle Commission and correct the voter rolls.
The controversy dates to mid-July, when Sherrill revealed that a software configuration issue in the state's automatic voter registration process added about 6,600 noncitizens to the rolls between June 2023 and June 2024. Fewer than 400 of those individuals appear to have cast ballots before the mistake was caught, according to the governor.
Sherrill blamed the previous administration for the blunder and ordered the ineligible registrations removed. A software provider involved with the Motor Vehicle Commission has disputed her characterization, saying the state was responsible for verifying voter eligibility.
The federal picture is much bigger. DHS has identified roughly 35,000 people on New Jersey's voter rolls who may be noncitizens, a number Mullin suggested could grow as the review continues. His department sent a letter to the state's secretary of state on July 17 asking New Jersey to verify the matches and cooperate on election security.
Mullin appeared to declare a breakthrough Tuesday, thanking Sherrill on social media and citing correspondence from the office of Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, the state's elections chief. He wrote that the 35,000 potential registered noncitizens identified by DHS may only be the beginning, and that he looks forward to helping New Jersey identify illegal voters and ensure election integrity.
Sherrill's office immediately disputed that account, insisting there is no cooperation agreement with DHS or the Trump administration. A source familiar with the matter said the only correspondence between Trenton and Washington was a response from Caldwell's counsel to a letter from House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., and Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J. -- not an agreement to participate with the federal government.
Behind the public sparring is a legal battle over voter data. Sherrill has refused federal requests for personally identifying voter information, citing privacy laws, and has accused the Trump administration of trying to weaponize elections for political gain.
A federal judge dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking New Jersey's voter list on July 29, ruling that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 did not authorize forcing the state to hand it over. The DOJ appealed that ruling to the Third Circuit on Aug. 17, keeping the dispute alive.
President Trump has signed executive orders directing federal agencies to assist states in verifying voter eligibility and citizenship, part of a broader administration effort to root out noncitizen voting nationwide. DHS has reported finding more than 250,000 potential noncitizen registrations across Nevada, California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
New Jersey may begin producing some documents for congressional investigators as soon as next week, though Sherrill's office says personally identifying voter information will not be included. That stance all but guarantees the standoff with DHS and Congress continues.
Meanwhile, the Third Circuit appeal moves forward, and Mullin's department shows no sign of backing off its assertion that the 35,000 figure is a floor, not a ceiling. With the November election approaching, the fight over New Jersey's voter rolls is far from settled -- and the Trump administration appears intent on making election integrity the centerpiece of the argument.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill blasted the Trump administration while releasing findings on thousands of improperly registered noncitizen voters -- and disputed DHS claims that the state agreed to cooperate.
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