On Wednesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that his office would investigate organizations that may be helping undocumented immigrants illegally register to vote in the state.
X Post
The announcement came after Fox News reporter Maria Bartiromo reported “massive lines of migrants” at voter registration tents outside voter registration tents in Weatherford and Fort Worth DMV offices, but Paxton's office did not address Bartiromo's report in its announcement.
Attorney General's Announcement
Paxton said in a press release.
Texans are deeply concerned that groups purporting to assist with voter registration may be illegally registering foreign nationals to vote in Texas elections. If eligible citizens can legally register to vote while conducting business at a DPS (Department of Public Safety) office, why should they have to register again at an outdoor booth?
My office is investigating all credible reports of potential criminal activity that could undermine the integrity of our elections. The Biden-Harris Administration is intentionally allowing illegal immigrants into our country, and without proper safeguards, foreign nationals could illegally influence our elections at the local, state and national levels.
“It is a crime to vote or register to vote if you are not a U.S. citizen. Any fraudulent activity will be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” he concluded.
Criticism of Paxton
Some believe Paxton misses the point when he argues that there should be no need for booths outside offices where people can register to vote.
“Texas DPS is not a well-established organization that's known for doing its job really well,” said Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas, a voter advocacy group.
The idea that organizations outside of DPS that are doing voter registration are doing something wrong is false on its face: they are just doing voter registration in places where they think there may be people who are not registered.
In Texas, voting as a foreign national is a second-degree felony under a 2021 law signed by Governor Greg Abbott.
Texas DPS spokesman William Lockridge called Bartiromo's Fox News report about registration tents outside DPS facilities “completely false,” according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“None of it is true,” he said, calling the accusations “a form of racism.” “Just because these people are not white doesn't mean they're illegal immigrants,” he added.
Republicans in the state don't believe Bartiromo's X post is the sole driving force behind the investigation.
“I don't have any information on that, but I'm not going to assume from the get-go that all the attorney general has is an allegation from a Fox News host,” said Brady Gray, chairman of the Parker County Republican Party.
Paxton's release said the investigation is already underway: “The investigation is ongoing and is ongoing throughout major metropolitan areas of Texas.”
