DHS Warns Nevada of Up to 15,903 Alleged Noncitizens on Voter Rolls

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has sent a letter to Nevada Secretary of State Francisco “Cisco” Aguilar warning that as many as 15,903 noncitizens may be registered to vote in the state, part of a broader preliminary finding of more than 250,000 potential noncitizens on voter rolls across four states. 

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, in the July 17 letter and subsequent public statements, highlighted matches between public voter registration data and federal records identifying noncitizens. For Nevada specifically, the department reported finding 8,576 registrants whose name, date of birth, address, and Social Security number matched a noncitizen in DHS files. “Election security is national security,” Mullin stated. “As President Trump announced last night, 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.” 

A preliminary @DHSgov review found over 250,000 non-citizens registered to vote in four states: California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.

This shouldn’t be a red or blue state issue: ONLY Americans should elect American leaders.

We’ve put these governors on notice.… pic.twitter.com/9hpsg5xhS0

— Secretary Markwayne Mullin (@SecMullinDHS) July 17, 2026

The letters went to secretaries of state in California (Shirley Weber), New Jersey (Dale Caldwell), Nevada (Aguilar), and Pennsylvania (Al Schmidt). The claimed totals include approximately 190,832 in California, 35,152 in New Jersey, 15,903 in Nevada, and 14,576 in Pennsylvania. Mullin urged the states to review their rolls using the federal SAVE database, respond within two weeks (by around July 30–31), and confirm collaboration to ensure free, fair, and honest elections. The Trump administration has signaled potential consequences for non-compliance, including loss of certain federal election security grants, fines, or other accountability measures. 

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, a Democrat, quickly pushed back in a statement.“We can affirm that on its face, we refute these claims,” Aguilar said. “These numbers are wildly speculative at best and the Department of Homeland Security hasn’t shared anything that backs it up.” 

He added that the administration “lacks a fundamental understanding of how elections work” and described the letter as another attempt to cast doubt on elections and sow chaos. 

NV's elections are among the safest, most secure & accessible in the nation.
Following Pres. Trump’s remarks, SOS Francisco Aguilar reaffirmed NV’s commitment to secure, transparent elections & protecting every eligible voter’s right to participate.
More: https://t.co/CbvIdkAH5i pic.twitter.com/EipEt7DyiA

— NV Sec of State (@NVSOS) July 17, 2026

Aguilar noted that his office has previously provided detailed information on Nevada’s voter registration safeguards to the Trump administration. Nevada law makes it illegal for noncitizens to vote. However, verification of citizenship in the registration process relies heavily on the honor system: applicants simply check a box affirming U.S. citizenship under penalty of perjury and potential criminal penalties (see below).

While the state has automatic voter registration through the DMV, county election officials verify eligibility, and not every DMV customer is registered. Out of roughly 2.1 million active voters, 138 lack a driver’s license or Social Security number on file. Although a small number, Nevada elections are won by the thinnest of margins and often in favor of down-ballot Democrats. 

Under Aguilar, Nevada recently conducted a major voter roll cleanup, purging approximately 315,000 voters—roughly 15% of the rolls. Some of the removed registrations dated back multiple election cycles, highlighting longstanding questions about timely maintenance and inactive or ineligible entries. 

This latest development fits into a pattern of concerns about voter roll integrity that California Globe has covered extensively.

Our reporting has highlighted cases where over 400,000 noncitizens were excused from jury duty—yet appeared on voter rolls—raising questions about how DMV and other databases feed into registration systems without robust citizenship verification. 

Audits have also flagged issues such as one in four commercial driver’s licenses issued to noncitizens in certain periods, underscoring broader challenges with identity and eligibility screening and automatic voter registration amid unprecedented levels of illegal immigration under the Biden Administration.

Los Angeles City Council recently advanced a measure that would place noncitizen voting in local elections on the November 2026 ballot, a proposal pushed by progressive and socialist members that has drawn sharp criticism for further blurring lines on eligibility. 

In Nevada, Globe coverage has documented delays and incomplete responses by Aguilar’s office when the Department of Justice sought statewide voter registration records, fueling questions about transparency, maintenance of accurate rolls and ongoing lawsuits against non-compliant states. 

 These issues have gained renewed attention following President Trump’s national address on election integrity, references to declassified materials related to foreign interference in elections, and parallel efforts by the administration to enforce citizenship requirements and use federal databases like SAVE for verification and the passage of the SAVE Act which mandates voter identification and is reported to create a GOP stronghold in Nevada.

Reform efforts in California, Nevada and Arizona, including voter ID initiatives and citizenship affirmation measures, continue to advance amid public concern over election security.

Aguilar’s office stated it is reviewing the DHS letter. The latest battle between Democratic leaders and the Trump administration comes as the nation heads toward the 2026 midterm elections and local contests, including high-profile gubernatorial races in California, Nevada, and Arizona.

The California Globe will continue monitoring responses from Aguilar, Weber, and other officials, as well as any further data or actions from DHS.