Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson is making waves after writing a scathing letter to the U.S. Department of Justice, claiming the federal government is making it easier for illegal immigrants and ineligible convicts to vote.
Watson, who penned the letter before last week’s primary election in Mississippi, points to an executive order signed by President Joe Biden in 2021. The order instructed government agencies to “consider ways to expand citizens’ opportunities to register to vote and to obtain information about, and participate in, the electoral process.”
While the Biden administration claims the order is only to help American citizens vote, Watson believes it’s being used as an attempt to register ineligible convicts and illegal immigrants to vote.
“As you are aware, on March 7, 2021, President Joe Biden issued Executive Order No. 14019 which sought to turn the Department of Justice agencies from their historical missions of law enforcement to voter registration and get out the vote operations,” Watson wrote to U.S Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“These efforts are an intrusion into state matters and are a misuse of federal revenue and resources. In addition, it appears that these efforts have led to agencies under your charge attempting to register people to vote, including potentially ineligible felons and to co-opt state and local officials into accomplishing this goal.”
Watson outlined in the letter concerns about the U.S. Marshals Service being asked to “modify agreements with jails” that require them “to provide voter registration materials and facilitate voting by mail.” The Republican secretary continued, writing that the executive order infringes on Mississippi’s laws on disenfranchising crimes.
“This program creates numerous opportunities for ineligible prisoners to be registered to vote in Mississippi.”
In the aftermath of the letter being sent, Watson told SuperTalk Mississippi that the idea of ineligible voters casting ballots is what worries him and his party the most. He opined that it could eventually end up swaying elections.
“The executive order came out from the president, basically weaponizing governmental entities and agencies to do voter registration,” Watson said during an appearance on The Gallo Show. “And they mentioned third-party individuals that they would actually hire to do this. You know as well as I do that they probably wouldn’t be hiring a bunch of conservatives to go out and do that. It would be targeted.”
Watson called the order a “recipe for disaster,” saying that during a time when millions of immigrants are crossing the southern border, a program not closely monitored could be flipped upside down.
“They’re also encouraging and helping illegal immigrants learn how to register to vote, which if you look at what’s going on at the southern border, that is a recipe for disaster for this country.”
While numbers on illegal immigrants voting are sparse – ranging between Donald Trump’s claims of “millions” and an oft-referenced 2017 study only showing 30 cases of potential noncitizen voting in a sample size of 23.5 million ballots cast – other GOP members have come to Watson’s defense.
“What many people don’t know is that when they’re doing the census every two years, they base congressional districts based off of population, including the population of illegal immigrants,” South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace said when asked about it on Fox News.
To conclude his letter, Watson requested Garland put a pause on the order “unless and until we can ensure only eligible voters receive voter registration information” as the DOJ has provided little information on its implementation.
