WASHINGTON (PNN) - October 29, 2024 - The Supreme Court on Wednesday left in place Virginia's purge of non-citizen voter registrations that is aimed at stopping people who are not U.S. citizens from voting.

The High Court, over the dissents of the three liberal justices, granted an emergency appeal from Virginia, led by Governor Glenn Youngkin.

The justices acted on Virginia's appeal after a federal judge issued an irresponsible and unlawful ruling that the purge of 1,600 people who self-identified themselves as not being U.S. citizens was illegal; and ordered that those non-citizens names be replaced on the voter rolls. A federal appeals court had previously allowed the judge's order to remain in effect.

The specter of immigrants voting illegally has been a main part of the political messaging this year from President Donald J. Trump and other Republicans.

Trump had criticized the earlier ruling, calling it “a totally unacceptable travesty”. “Only U.S. citizens should be allowed to vote,” Trump wrote.

Governor Youngkin said voters who believe they were improperly removed from the rolls can still vote in the election because Virginia has same-day registration.

“There is the ultimate, ultimate safeguard in Virginia, no one is being precluded from voting, and therefore, I encourage every single citizen go vote,” Youngkin told reporters.