PHOENIX – U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held a Phoenix press conference on Thursday, February 12, 2026, to promote the federal SAVE Act and encourage Arizona officials to partner with the Department of Homeland Security to review voter registration rolls.

Noem met with and expressed gratitude for Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap, Rep. John Gillette (R-30), and former Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Wright, after traveling to Arizona to discuss election integrity and federal-state coordination. Gillette chairs the Arizona House Federalism, Military Affairs, and Elections Committee, which hears election-related legislation. The SAVE Act, passed in the U.S. House earlier this week, would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, mandate photo identification for voting, and direct states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls. Noem described the bill as “common sense” reform, and cited polling she said shows broad public support for voter ID and citizenship verification.

She also pointed to what she characterized as documented cases of noncitizens registering or voting in other states, arguing that “there is no room in our election system for people that aren’t Americans.”

When asked about claims of widespread fraud in Arizona, Noem promoted DHS’s “SAFE” program, which she said is available to Arizona officials to verify voter rolls and identify ineligible registrants. She encouraged the Secretary of State to ensure counties have access to the toll and said DHS would provide “mitigation measures” to strengthen election systems.

Noem repeatedly described elections as part of the nation’s “critical infrastructure,” placing them alongside cyber systems, water systems, and the electrical grid under DHS oversight. She defended holding the press conference at a secure facility, stating that protecting election infrastructure falls within DHS’s statutory mission.

At one point, Noem criticized Arizona’s past election administration, saying the state “has been an absolute disaster on elections” and urging reporters to press state leaders on system failures.

The visit comes as the SAVE Act faces an uncertain path in the U.S. Senate, where it would likely require bipartisan support to overcome a filibuster.