Esternita Watkins, a naturalized American citizen living in Alabama, was flagged by state Secretary of State Wes Allen for having a noncitizen identification number and had her voter registration deactivated. Watkins, who had been looking forward to casting her first ballot in the upcoming presidential election, was upset by the letter she received. Voting rights advocates and attorneys warned that such voter roll purges targeting naturalized citizens could have far-reaching consequences.
Republican officials, including Wes Allen in Alabama, have been focusing on preventing noncitizens from voting, even though it is already illegal and rare. Allen announced that 3,251 voter registrations were flagged for removal as part of a new process that identifies anyone with a noncitizen identification number on the state voter rolls. Experts argue that every naturalized citizen in Alabama has an immigration number, and this crackdown on noncitizen voting could potentially disenfranchise legitimate citizens.
Republican officials across various states, including Texas, Virginia, and Ohio, have been removing noncitizens from voter rolls amidst false claims by former President Donald Trump and his allies about widespread noncitizen voting. Voting rights advocates and experts argue that there is little evidence supporting these claims and that such efforts are leading to voter suppression. Efforts to challenge Wes Allen’s process in Alabama have been met with resistance as the state continues to flag naturalized citizens like Esternita Watkins.
Esternita Watkins and her husband, Christopher, expressed their frustration with the voter registration process after her citizenship was called into question. Despite having provided proof of her citizenship when she registered to vote initially, Watkins was once again required to fill out a form to re-register. Critics argue that this places an unnecessary burden on naturalized citizens and contributes to voter suppression. Efforts to rectify the situation have yielded little results, with local officials directing inquiries back to Wes Allen’s office.
A coalition of 11 voting and immigrant rights advocacy groups, including the ACLU and the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, have challenged Wes Allen’s process, claiming that it violates federal voting law. They argue that the new process violates the National Voter Registration Act by removing voters too close to Election Day and potentially discriminating against naturalized citizens. Despite the demands to stop the process and provide documentation about its development, Allen has not responded, stating that he will not bow down to threats from activist groups.
Wes Allen defended his process, stating that he had sought better data from the federal government but was denied cooperation. Despite the backlash and calls to halt the voter roll purge targeting naturalized citizens, Allen maintained that the state would continue with the process. With the upcoming presidential election looming, the fate of thousands of naturalized citizens like Esternita Watkins hangs in the balance as they navigate voter registration hurdles and potential disenfranchisement.
