May Affect Immigrants’ Immigration Cases
New Jersey officials disclosed that a software error at motor vehicle agencies mistakenly added up to 6,600 noncitizens to the state’s voter rolls between June 2023 and June 2024. The individuals reportedly identified themselves as non-U.S. citizens during the registration process and did not knowingly register to vote. State officials are working to remove the affected individuals from the voter rolls and have begun notifying those impacted.
The incident may have significant immigration consequences. Under federal immigration law, certain noncitizens who are registered to vote can face serious barriers to obtaining permanent residence, even when the registration was unintentional, and the individual never cast a ballot. Those who actually voted may face additional immigration and criminal consequences. At least one affected New Jersey resident reportedly had a pending green card application denied after USCIS identified the erroneous voter registration, and the individual and family members were subsequently placed in removal proceedings.
INLG recommends that affected individuals preserve any notices or documentation from New Jersey confirming that the registration resulted from the state’s system error and that they had identified themselves as noncitizens. Because the immigration consequences can vary depending on the individual’s circumstances, those affected should carefully assess their immigration history and available evidence before responding to USCIS or immigration authorities. INLG will continue monitoring developments and evaluating how the state’s documentation of the error may affect impacted immigrants.