Whistleblower Alleges DHS Illegally Accessed Voter Records

An anonymous federal whistleblower has accused the Department of Homeland Security of directing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services investigators to search state voter-registration systems for suspected noncitizens as part of the Trump administration’s nationwide “Unlawful Voter Initiative.” The allegations say agents used personal information, sometimes entered state election websites while posing as voters, and may have violated state privacy laws. Investigators reportedly faced quotas of roughly 40 reviews per eight-hour shift and relied on incomplete or unreliable data that could wrongly flag naturalized citizens and other eligible voters, potentially leading to improper federal law-enforcement records. Sen. Alex Padilla and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer have demanded that Homeland Security halt the initiative and investigate the allegations; DHS and the White House had not publicly responded in the reports provided. The effort is intended to substantiate President Donald Trump’s claims of widespread noncitizen voting, although studies and state audits have found such cases to be exceedingly rare.