Supreme Court Backs Virginia’s Move to Clean Voter Rolls by Removing Noncitizens

Clear Facts

• The Supreme Court has allowed Virginia to remove individuals identified as noncitizens from its voter rolls.
• A lower court order preventing the removal of approximately 1,600 individuals was paused by the justices.
• Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Elena Kagan opposed granting Virginia’s request.

In a significant decision, the Supreme Court has given Virginia the green light to proceed with the removal of individuals identified as noncitizens from its voter rolls. This decision comes after a lower court had previously blocked the state from removing around 1,600 people who had reportedly “self-identified” as noncitizens.

The justices’ decision was not unanimous. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Elena Kagan expressed their dissent, as noted in the court’s order.

Virginia’s argument in favor of the removal was compelling. The state contended that the injunction, which prevents the enforcement of a law approved by the Justice Department in 2006, would cause several issues.

“The injunction, which prohibits the application of a law that has been on the books since the Justice Department precleared it in 2006, will also irreparably injure Virginia’s sovereignty, confuse her voters, overload her election machinery and administrators, and likely lead noncitizens to think they are permitted to vote, a criminal offense that will cancel the franchise of eligible voters,” the state argued in its emergency application.

This legal battle began when the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Virginia on October 12. The case has drawn attention due to its implications for voter registration and election integrity.

As this is a developing story, further updates are expected.

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