TRENTON, N.J. — Thousands of illegal aliens living in New Jersey have been registered to vote, and hundreds actually voted in past elections. Instead of prosecuting those voters for voter fraud, Mikie Sherrill is making $20,000,000 of your hard-earned tax money available to them to sort their legal troubles, because they didn’t know any better.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill said New Jersey will provide access to free legal assistance for noncitizens who were mistakenly registered to vote because of a New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission system error, a move that is drawing criticism from Republican lawmakers.
The state has confirmed that at least 4,500 noncitizens were among approximately 6,600 individuals improperly registered to vote through the MVC between June 2023 and June 2024 while applying for identification. Officials have mailed notification letters to everyone affected by the registration error.
Governor says those affected acted through no fault of their own
During a July 21 news conference, Sherrill said those mistakenly registered should not face criminal consequences because the registrations resulted from a state error.
“We now have certain people that through no fault of their own have been registered to vote. It may imperil their immigration status,” Sherrill said.
The governor also called it “the utmost hypocrisy” to pursue criminal charges against people who were registered because of the state’s mistake. Through a state FAQ website promoted by the administration, affected individuals can access information about pro bono legal services offered through the New Jersey Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative.
Republican lawmaker criticizes state response
Assemblyman Alex Sauickie criticized the policy, arguing taxpayers should not finance legal assistance connected to the registration error.
“You can’t make this up!” Sauickie wrote on social media. “Governor Sherrill admits thousands of noncitizens were improperly registered—and nearly 400 cast ballots.”
He added, “Now her administration is directing those involved to taxpayer-funded legal assistance backed by more than $20 million,” and called on the state to “Protect lawful voters. Investigate every illegal ballot. Secure the voter rolls.”
Immigration legal defense funding expanded
In June, Sherrill announced more than $20 million in funding for the New Jersey Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative and launched a statewide legal response network that provides legal representation in immigration detention and enforcement matters.
State officials say the legal assistance is intended to help individuals whose immigration status could be affected after being mistakenly registered through the MVC error while New Jersey continues correcting voter registration records and notifying those impacted.
