Democrats are calling for an investigation into Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett after he asked voters to provide proof of citizenship leading up to the 2024 Presidential Election.
More than 14,000 possible non-U.S. citizens were sent letters requesting that they submit proof of citizenship.
“Our office has received information that appears to indicate your voter information matches with an individual that may or may not have been a United States citizen at the time of obtaining a Tennessee driver’s license or ID card,” the letter reads.
The letter added that the “potential penalty” for illegal voting is “at least 2 years in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.”
An envelope was included in the letter to allow recipients to reply at no cost with a copy of their birth certificate, U.S. passport, naturalization documentation, or another document showing the individual’s “proof of citizenship.”
Tennessee State Representative John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) said in a statement, “On its face, this letter is an egregious and unlawful act by a state official that targets a certain population of citizens who are lawful voters with the clear intent to intimidate them.”
“By all accounts, these letters were only mailed to Tennesseans who, in pursuit of the American dream, immigrated to the United States, chose to make Tennessee their home, worked hard to obtain U.S. citizenship, and lawfully registered to vote. I am proud to represent thousands of these new Americans and their families residing in the wonderfully diverse District 55, and it angers and offends me that a state official would abuse his office and state resources to unlawfully target them for dubious purposes.”
State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) similarly criticized the letter, saying it was sent to a Tennessee resident who became a citizen in 2022.
“[M]aybe the state should verify citizenship with the federal govt. before sending threatening/intimidating letters to new citizens,” she wrote on X.
Earlier this week, Tennesee House Minority Leader, Karen Camper, a Democrat, wrote a letter to Hargett conveying his concern “about the necessity and timing of this additional verification measure.”
“I would like to understand the criteria and methodology used to identify the specific individuals who received these letters,” the letter said. “It is crucial to know the justification for how and why these particular voters were chosen. Transparency in this process is essential to ensure that it is fair, non-discriminatory, and does not inadvertently target or intimidate lawful voters.”
“The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy, and it is imperative that all actions taken in the name of election security do not undermine voter confidence or disenfranchise eligible voters,” Camper declared.
American Faith reported that an analysis from the American Immigration Council found that more than 23 million immigrants in the United States who now have American citizenship are eligible to cast votes ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
“As more immigrants naturalize and become eligible to vote, they continue to gain political power,” the analysis states. “The number of immigrant voters is only projected to rise in the next decade, and in some states, foreign-born voters are already capable of deciding elections.”
The analysis indicates that foreign eligible voters will account for about 1-in-10 of all eligible voters in 2024.
