TRENTON, N.J. — A new statement from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on Monday that New Jersey is reversing course and cooperating with federal efforts to review potential noncitizen voter registrations, though state officials have not publicly confirmed the development.
The apparent shift comes after Gov. Mikie Sherrill previously indicated her administration would oppose requests from the Trump administration seeking access to certain voter registration records on legal grounds.
In a statement posted Tuesday on X, Mullin thanked Sherrill and claimed New Jersey Secretary of State Dale Caldwell had informed DHS the state would participate in efforts to identify noncitizens who may be registered to vote.
“We got news from your Secretary of State that New Jersey will participate with DHS in stopping aliens from illegally voting in your state,” Mullin wrote.
He added that the approximately 35,000 potential registered aliens identified by DHS “may only be the beginning” and said the department looks forward to helping New Jersey verify voter records and “ensure election integrity.”
As of publication, neither the Governor’s Office nor the Department of State has publicly confirmed Mullin’s statement.
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin claims New Jersey will cooperate with a federal voter registration review.
- Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration has not publicly verified the claim.
- The issue follows earlier disputes over federal requests for New Jersey voter registration records.
- State officials previously cited legal concerns regarding the release of unredacted voter information.
Previous dispute centered on voter records
The latest statement follows weeks of public disagreement between the Trump administration and New Jersey over access to voter registration data.
Governor Sherrill previously opposed requests for unredacted voter records, arguing that federal demands raised legal and privacy concerns.
At the same time, Secretary of State Dale Caldwell had indicated his office intended to communicate with congressional investigators regarding New Jersey’s corrective actions following the state’s acknowledgment that approximately 6,600 noncitizens had been mistakenly registered through the Motor Vehicle Commission because of a system error.
Congressional Republicans also requested documents related to that investigation, with an Aug. 17 deadline for producing records.
It remains unclear whether New Jersey has fully complied with those congressional requests.
DHS and New Jersey discussing separate review
The current DHS review appears separate from New Jersey’s previously disclosed MVC registration error.
Earlier this year, DHS said it had identified approximately 35,000 New Jersey voter registrations as potential matches involving noncitizens and sought the state’s assistance in verifying those records.
State officials have cautioned that the DHS figure represents preliminary potential matches requiring verification and should not be interpreted as proof that all individuals are noncitizens or illegally registered to vote.
Political reaction follows social media post
Mullin’s statement quickly prompted political reactions online.
Republican commentator Michael Casey wrote that Sherrill had “caved” to President Donald Trump by allegedly agreeing to cooperate with DHS.
That characterization reflects Casey’s opinion and has not been independently verified.
Separately, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the Census Bureau had compared voter records with citizenship records and claimed the review found more than 24,000 noncitizens voted illegally among the first 128 million voters examined. The administration has not publicly released supporting documentation for those figures, and the claims had not been independently verified at the time of publication.
The Sherrill administration has not publicly addressed either Mullin’s statement or Trump’s post.
FAQ
- Has New Jersey confirmed it will cooperate with DHS?
As of publication, the Sherrill administration has not publicly confirmed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s statement. - What is the 35,000 figure?
DHS previously said it identified approximately 35,000 New Jersey voter registrations as potential matches requiring verification. State officials have emphasized these are preliminary matches, not confirmed cases of noncitizens voting. - Has New Jersey responded to Congress’s records request?
Publicly, it remains unclear whether the state has fully complied with congressional requests for records following the Aug. 17 deadline.
Source: Statements from DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, public posts on X, previous New Jersey Department of State statements.
