Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen praised the Trump administration for defending the state’s voter citizenship law, calling the Justice Department’s legal filing “a commitment to the rule of law and fair elections.” The Department of Justice recently submitted a legal brief supporting Arizona’s requirement that voters show documented proof of citizenship—a provision currently under legal challenge.
Arizona passed House Bill 2492 and HB 2243 in 2022, both aimed at strengthening voter verification procedures. HB 2492 mandates that those registering to vote in state or federal elections provide documented proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport. HB 2243 expands voter roll maintenance authority, allowing election officials to investigate and remove ineligible voters.
These laws were challenged in court by Mi Familia Vota, a left-leaning Hispanic activist group. In 2024, a federal district court struck down key provisions of both laws, ruling that requiring proof of citizenship and permitting local investigations violated federal law. The Ninth Circuit Court later upheld the lower court’s ruling.
After those setbacks, Petersen appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The DOJ’s latest brief supports Arizona’s position, arguing that states have the right to enforce eligibility standards and prevent voter fraud. The brief explicitly states that Arizona’s laws do not violate the Civil Rights Act and emphasized that safeguarding election integrity is a legitimate state interest.
Under President Trump’s leadership, the DOJ has reversed the previous administration’s stance. In April 2025, the Trump DOJ dropped the Biden-era lawsuit challenging Arizona’s voter verification requirements.
Petersen warned that failing to enforce citizenship laws could open the door to noncitizen voting in Arizona and undermine public trust. “Arizonans deserve to know that every ballot cast comes from an eligible U.S. citizen – nothing more, nothing less,” he said.
He added that if the Supreme Court declines to hear the case, it would be a green light for further erosion of election safeguards. But if the high court takes the appeal, he is confident justices will uphold Arizona’s authority to require proof of citizenship.
Most Americans agree. Recent polling from Noble Predictive Insights found that a large majority of voters support voter ID and citizenship verification—positions increasingly aligned with Arizona’s legislative direction under Republican leadership.
