The Department of Homeland Security has mounted an extraordinary campaign to hunt for illegal voters, devoting hundreds of federal agents to the task of poring over tens of thousands of voter records and knocking on the doors of people suspected of being noncitizens who unlawfully cast ballots. But the crusade has so far resulted in the Trump administration’s charging only about 236 people with voting-fraud-related offenses across the country since the president took office, according to the Justice Department. That includes some noncitizens accused of registering to vote but not actually casting ballots.
The figure is a minuscule share of the more than 158 million ballots cast in the 2024 general election, and falls far short of the figures cited in July by Markwayne Mullin, the homeland security secretary, who claimed without evidence that more than 250,000 potential noncitizens were registered to vote in just four states alone. The small number of charges has further undermined President Trump’s specious claims that voting by noncitizens is pervasive and tilting elections for Democrats, and raises questions about why the Homeland Security Department has dedicated vast resources to the effort ahead of the midterm election. The Homeland Security Department’s investigatory work has also been core to recent attempts by the Justice Department to intervene in the election.
The Homeland Security Department has defended its focus on the issue, saying that it would root out election fraud wherever it could be found and ramp up deportations of noncitizens who illegally voted or registered. ONLY Americans should elect American leaders.” Voting by noncitizens, who are barred by law from registering to vote or casting ballots, is exceptionally rare, according to multiple studies. Critics have said the Homeland Security Department’s aggressive efforts to investigate noncitizen voters instead appear to be aimed at intimidating voters and laying the groundwork to challenge the election results.
Immigration advocacy groups have also expressed fears for months that federal agents could turn up at polling places, though as of Tuesday morning, there were no signs of immigration authorities patrolling voting sites. Early voting in Miami last week. Immigration advocacy groups have expressed fears for months that federal agents could turn up at polling places during the midterm election.Credit...Ruth Fremson/The New York Times Tasking hundreds of officers with scouring state voter rolls and deploying agents to interview people at their homes to root out noncitizen voters is a remarkable use of the Homeland Security Department’s powers.
The largest federal law enforcement agency, the department was created in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to help protect the country from threats. The Trump administration has leveraged at least four of its nine main agencies to promote investigations into noncitizen voters. That includes agencies that typically focus on deportations, border management, disaster relief, and immigration applications.
Federal agents who specialize in investigating national security threats and immigration benefit fraud have been diverted to finding noncitizens on the voter rolls. Homeland security agents who usually investigate crimes like child exploitation and illegal trade have also investigated more than 150 organizations that they say may be helping noncitizens illegally register to vote. But the department’s efforts have so far resulted in a small number of charges and little evidence that voter fraud is rampant.
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