The House Oversight Committee has asked the Department of Justice for a briefing after Macomb County, Mich., reported 239 noncitizens in its jury pool over four months, with 14 of those individuals at some point flagged as registered voters. County officials say one person appears to have voted multiple times; the state secretary of state disputes aspects of the county’s account and says only four confirmed noncitizen registrations have been identified so far. The committee wants the DOJ to determine whether similar problems exist elsewhere and how officials have responded.
House Oversight Launches Probe After Noncitizens Found in Michigan Jury Pools and Voter Rolls
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is probing whether noncitizens were allowed onto Michigan jury pools and voter rolls.(Getty Images)
The House Oversight Committee has opened an inquiry after county officials in the Detroit metropolitan area reported noncitizens appearing in both local jury pools and, in some cases, on voter rolls.
What Happened
Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) and Rep. John James (R-Mich.) sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and requested a Department of Justice briefing about the findings and the DOJ’s role in investigating them. The lawmakers say the incidents, if confirmed, could represent violations of federal law and fall within the Department’s civil-rights enforcement authority.
County Findings
Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini reported that a cross-check of the county jury pool against the Michigan Secretary of State’s Qualified Voter File identified 239 individuals described as noncitizens in the jury pool over a four-month period. Of those, 14 individuals were flagged as having been registered to vote at some point, and county records indicated that one person appeared to have voted multiple times — a finding the county said could carry felony exposure.
Rep. John James waves as he walks off stage after speaking during the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 15, 2024.
“What we have found is very disturbing — 239 non-citizens were found in the jury pool over a four-month period,” Forlini said in a county press release. “In a cross check of our voter rolls it appears that 14 of these prospective jurors were registered to vote at some point in time.”
State Response
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, whose office is handling the state-level review, called Forlini’s public claims “reckless” and warned against prioritizing headlines over facts. Benson’s office said its initial review confirmed only four cases of noncitizens registered to vote among those flagged by the county and that those cases will be investigated further. She also said at least one eligible voter was placed under criminal investigation in the immediate aftermath of the county’s disclosures and that verified U.S. citizens risked losing registration without notice.
Broader Context and Next Steps
The DOJ previously sued Michigan over aspects of its voter information late last year, and Comer and James asked the attorney general to determine whether similar issues exist in other states, whether local officials have obstructed or delayed DOJ inquiries, and how the Department has responded to any noncooperation. Republicans in Congress have pointed to rising levels of unauthorized immigration as a reason to pursue legislative reforms; House GOP measures such as the SAVE America Act are intended to tighten voter-registration and eligibility rules and are slated for consideration.
There is currently no validated evidence that noncitizen voting has altered the outcome of any federal election. The committee’s request seeks further information from the DOJ to clarify the scope of the problem and what steps, if any, should follow.
Help us improve.
