Trump administration uses Department of Homeland Security to investigate noncitizens on voter rolls

Aug 12, 2026

The Trump administration is leveraging the Department of Homeland Security to investigate and deport noncitizens on voter rolls, shifting the agency's focus from election security to voter fraud. Homeland Security Investigations is probing voter records and targeting green card holders, even those who registered inadvertently. While federal officials claim to have found over 250,000 potential noncitizens, state election officials have disputed these figures as unsubstantiated, and a federal court has blocked the use of the primary federal verification database.

DHS noncitizen voter roll investigations

▪The Department of Homeland Security announced in July 2026 that an analysis of public voter data found more than 250,000 potential noncitizens registered in Nevada, California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
▪A federal court ruled that the Department of Homeland Security violated privacy law in revamping its Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program, blocking its use for voter audits in most states.
▪The Department of Homeland Security reported finding over 28,000 noncitizens, later revised to under 25,000, on voter rolls across approximately two dozen mostly Republican-led states that voluntarily shared their data.

Trump administration election fraud claims

▪State audits and academic studies have consistently found that noncitizen voting in United States elections is extremely rare, with no documented instances of such votes altering election outcomes.
▪Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned in July 2026 that election officials who fail to secure voter rolls after receiving federal data could face fines, penalties, or prison.
▪President Donald Trump delivered a primetime address in July 2026 announcing the declassification of information that he claimed exposed vulnerabilities in the United States election system.

HSI agent voter fraud probes

▪The Department of Homeland Security is utilizing Homeland Security Investigations, an arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to conduct criminal investigations into voter fraud allegations.
▪Federal agents raided the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a progressive voter-turnout organization, in June 2026 following inquiries by Homeland Security Investigations agents regarding voter registration records.
▪An internal memo directed Homeland Security Investigations agents to investigate whether naturalized United States citizens registered to vote or cast ballots before obtaining their citizenship.

State election officials' responses

▪Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and state election officials declined a meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin until the department explained its voter roll analysis methodology.
▪Election officials in Nevada, California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania disputed the Department of Homeland Security's July 2026 findings, stating the department provided no methodology or voter names.
▪New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill refused a federal request for voter data after a state DMV error mistakenly registered thousands of noncitizens, stating the request lacked a legal basis.

Deportation proceedings for voter registration

▪United States Customs and Border Protection officers have detained green card holders at border checkpoints and placed them into deportation proceedings for having registered to vote.
▪The Trump administration is actively pursuing criminal charges and deportations against green card holders and other noncitizens who registered to vote, even if they did so inadvertently.

Historical DHS election security role

▪Prior to the current administration, the Department of Homeland Security did not aggressively seek to deport noncitizens who unlawfully registered to vote, particularly those who registered mistakenly.
▪The Department of Homeland Security has pivoted from its historical role of assisting states with election security to focusing resources on investigating voter fraud allegations.