Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vowed to vigorously challenge a federal judge's recent ruling that mandates the state to reinstate over 1,600 individuals believed to be noncitizens back on the voter rolls. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Patricia Giles, came in the form of a preliminary injunction on Friday, preventing Virginia from deeming these voters ineligible due to suspicions that some of them may actually be U.S. citizens.
Expressing his surprise at the decision, Youngkin highlighted that the majority of these individuals had provided immigration documents confirming their noncitizen status, a fact that had been verified by federal authorities. The governor emphasized the discrepancy between common sense and the legal framework, stating that while it may seem obvious that noncitizens should not be on the voter rolls, both the Constitution and the law support this notion.
Youngkin particularly criticized the timing of the ruling, coming just 11 days before Election Day. He asserted that Virginia would promptly seek an injunction to halt the judge's order and indicated a willingness to pursue the case all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.