By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and top election officials in three other states have until July 31 to tell the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) whether they will cooperate with a federal effort to identify and remove alleged noncitizens from state voter rolls.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin sent letters to the secretaries of state in California, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania, alleging that more than 250,000 potential noncitizens are registered to vote across the four states.
In an email to California Black Media (CBM), an official from Weber’s office confirmed that the secretary received the July 17 letter and is evaluating its contents.
“We can confirm that we have received the letter from the Department of Homeland Security and are reviewing it,” the July 23 email to CBM stated.
New Jersey Secretary of State Dale Caldwell, Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar and Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt also received letters following President Donald Trump’s July 16 prime-time address on election security.
“Election security is national security,” Mullin stated in the letter. “As President Trump announced, DHS has identified over 250,000 potential non-citizens illegally registered to vote in just 4 U.S. states. Only Americans should be electing American leaders.”
Trump has also alleged that thousands of noncitizens are illegally registered to vote and said an internal review identified potentially ineligible voters across the four states.
The Trump administration has not publicly provided verified evidence supporting its claims, which it has presented as proof of systemic election fraud and interference. Trump has also argued that electronic voting and ballot-counting systems are fundamentally insecure, “dishonest” and vulnerable to manipulation.
“We assess that centralized election-related data repositories, such as voter registration databases, pollbooks, and official election websites, are most vulnerable to exploitation, and adversaries could use access to these systems to disrupt election processes,” Trump said.
Following Trump’s address, Weber issued a statement that she said, “sets the record straight” on his “fallacious election fraud claims” and unsubstantiated allegations about California elections.
“Despite President Trump’s repeated and thoroughly debunked claims, the 2020 election was free, fair, and secure,” Weber stated. “Courts across the country, including judges he appointed, rejected allegations of widespread election fraud.”
Weber added, “Non-citizen voting remains exceedingly rare. In California, election officials work every day to maintain accurate voter rolls and ensure that only eligible voters are registered.”
According to Mullin, preliminary DHS reviews identified as many as 190,832 potential noncitizens registered to vote in California, 35,152 in New Jersey, 15,903 in Nevada and 14,576 in Pennsylvania.
DHS is primarily responsible for border enforcement and administering the nation’s legal immigration system. The department also helps safeguard election infrastructure, including voting machines, voter registration databases and polling places, from physical and cyber threats.
However, DHS does not administer elections. Under the U.S. Constitution, state and local governments oversee the electoral process.
Mullin asked the four election officials to respond within two weeks and confirm whether they intend to collaborate with DHS to “ensure free, fair, and honest elections.”
Weber said her office will “carefully review DHS’s methodology to assess its claims.” Mullin has publicly warned that election officials who fail to comply with federal election changes first published July 10 could face steep fines, other federal penalties and possible prison time.
“We welcome legitimate best practices that comply with state and federal law while protecting Californians’ personal information,” Weber stated. “However, the information provided during the President’s remarks and on the White House website does not inspire any level of confidence in the methodology used or the conclusions reached.”
Weber, the daughter of sharecroppers from Arkansas, is California’s chief elections officer. She leads an agency of approximately 500 employees whose responsibilities include election oversight, corporate filings, political transparency and historical preservation.
The secretary of state oversees federal and state elections across California’s 58 counties, maintains the statewide voter registration database, manages voter outreach programs, compiles election-night returns and publishes the final certified statements of vote.
Voting rights have long influenced Weber’s life and career. She has frequently recounted how, growing up, her mother opened their South Los Angeles home for voting after a neighborhood elementary school could no longer serve as a polling place because of a conflict with its lunch program.
Weber’s longtime friend, former Assembly Speaker and Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), has frequently praised her commitment to civil rights and protecting democracy.
“She is a trailblazer, a tireless public servant, and a fierce guardian of the ballot box,” Atkins said in June 2025. “Her life and her leadership are exactly what this moment demands — principled, courageous, and unshakably committed to the people.”
During a July 21 news conference with CAL FIRE officials at McClellan Airport in Sacramento, Gov. Gavin Newsom told CBM that Weber is “tough” and committed to preventing voter fraud through safeguards such as signature verification.
California county elections officials have up to 30 days after Election Day to complete the official vote count, verify signatures and audit results. Weber then has an additional eight days to review the data and certify the statewide election — a process Newsom acknowledged can be time-consuming.
“It can be slow and painful. Yes, our counts, but we believe every vote counts and want to make sure every vote is counted appropriately, which means we’re verifying signatures,” Newsom told CBM. “We have a process that’s well defined. I want to improve that process, and we want to continue working with the legislature to fast-track the process.”
