U.S. House probes Michigan noncitizen voting claims

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(The Center Square) – The U.S. House Oversight Committee is investigating claims of noncitizen voting in Michigan. 

U.S. Reps. James Comer, R-Ky., and John James, R-Mich., sent a letter on Tuesday to Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting a briefing on how the Department of Justice is handling government reports of noncitizen voting in Michigan.

The letter follows a November request by a group of Michigan Republicans for "comprehensive oversight" of Michigan's 2026 elections. 

On Jan. 12, Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini expressed concern in a statement after comparing state license records with jury summons and voter registrations. He found 239 noncitizens in the jury pool over a four-month period, 14 of whom were registered to vote at some point.

Forlini called out Michigan’s voter registration process. He said Michigan does not use a federal database to verify citizenship when registering voters.

“We must find a way for the Driver’s License database to confirm citizenship. Many times there may be a language barrier, and applicants do not understand what they are signing," Forlini said. "If this is not addressed, we risk compromising our jury trials and our elections."

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson refuted Forlini's claims and said some of the voters identified had been removed from voter rolls. 

"Michigan knows how to run safe, secure, transparent elections," Benson said. "We don't need federal agents in our cities, and we don't need politicians – who know better – accusing eligible voters of fraud to score political points."

Comer and James said they were concerned by Forlini's reports and sought to request a briefing. The representatives requested information on how prevalent noncitizen voting is in Michigan and other states and what DOJ is doing to prevent future issues. 

The House oversight probe comes as Michigan Rep. Ann Bolin, R-Brighton, testifies to Congress on Tuesday in support of the Make Elections Great Again Act, legislation that would implement voter ID requirements and citizenship verification across the country. 

“The MEGA Act provides an opportunity to establish practical, nationwide baseline standards for federal elections while respecting the role of states in administering them,” Bollin said in statement. “With thoughtful implementation, we can make elections work better for voters, for election officials, and for the country as a whole."