House Republicans on January 10 (local time) launched a federal investigation into reports that non-citizens were included in Michigan juries and, in some cases, even registered to vote.

The lawmakers requested a Justice Department briefing from Attorney General Pam Bondi by February 17.

In a letter dated January 10, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Rep. John James (R-Mich.) stated they are investigating Michigan's jury selection and voter registration processes, citing instances where "non-citizens have been included on Michigan jury lists, and in some cases have even registered to vote."

The congressmen invoked federal authority under civil rights law and questioned the Justice Department about when it became aware of the allegations and what actions, if any, it has taken.

The letter pointed to claims by Macomb County Clerk Anthony G. Forlini, who stated his office spent four months cross-referencing Michigan's statewide voter registration rolls with county jury lists.

Forlini reported that his review found 239 non-citizens on jury panels, and a separate investigation revealed that 14 of them "have previously registered to vote."

He also added that voter registration records indicated "instances where some of these non-citizens may have a history of voting."

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) has pushed back on some of Forlini's public assertions.

In a January 29 statement, Benson said her office reviewed 15 records provided by Forlini and compared them against state driving records and the federal SAVE system.

Benson stated that only three individuals had a voting history, one of whom was a lawfully voting U.S. citizen, another who voted in 2024 and is currently under investigation, and the third whose voter registration had already been canceled in 2022.

The Michigan dispute unfolds amidst broader Republican efforts to influence election administration.

James and Comer referenced the potential for similar issues occurring "nationwide," and House leadership has advocated for citizenship verification legislation. This includes the SAVE Act (H.R. 22), which passed the House in April 2025, and the recently introduced SAVE America Act (H.R. 7296), co-sponsored by House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).

Lawsuits concerning voter rolls and a 2020 report by the Public Interest Legal Foundation found 349,773 "deceased-looking registrants" in 41 states using voter roll data collected in late 2019.

The Public Interest Legal Foundation later sued Michigan in 2021 regarding management of its death-removal lists, but the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a dismissal of that lawsuit in 2025.

According to Newsmax, election officials in other jurisdictions have also reported discovering instances of non-citizens during their list review processes.

Iowa's Secretary of State reported that 277 non-citizens who voted or attempted to register to vote were identified in a 2025 audit, with 35 of those votes being cast in the 2024 general election.

Texas officials, after querying their state's voter rolls through the federal SAVE database, identified 2,724 potential non-citizens on their voter lists, stating that each county would be responsible for further verification.

A Virginia election official report indicated that 2,099 voter registrations were canceled between September 1, 2023, and August 31, 2024, after those individuals were identified as non-citizens through cross-referencing with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

By NNP Chief Editor Hong Sung-goo / Special Contribution NNP info@newsandpost.com