Ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, armed federal agents have been visiting residents’ homes to investigate immigration status and past voting history. In California, where 28 individuals have been indicted for illegal voter registration and voting-related charges, controversies are growing over the investigation methods and the accuracy of the target list.
CBS News reported on the 21st that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is conducting house-to-house investigations across multiple states to verify citizenship, voter registration, and past voting records. Some agents were spotted visiting residences while carrying firearms, and related photos and videos have been made public.
The investigation expanded starting in September. According to internal documents reviewed by CBS News, hundreds of HSI agents were reassigned from their regular duties to crack down on noncitizen illegal voting. The targeted areas include at least six states: California, Georgia, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Eric Balliet, a former HSI agent with 23 years of experience, stated, “During my tenure, investigators never once visited homes directly to verify voter eligibility.”
Arrests and indictments continued in California. The U.S. Department of Justice announced on the 19th that it arrested 11 lawful permanent residents and indicted a total of 28 individuals on election-related crimes, including illegal voter registration, voting, and false statements during the naturalization application process.
The controversy is spreading to the accuracy of the target list. On the 13th, the Department of Justice delivered a list of approximately 20,000 individuals suspected of being noncitizens to election officials in California and Los Angeles County, demanding they verify citizenship within 48 hours and sequester mail-in ballots for those voters.
However, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan refused, citing a lack of reliability in the list. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against California on the 15th.
According to an internal analysis by LA County election authorities, out of the roughly 20,000 individuals, about 7,000 had addresses in LA County. In a sample survey of 200 of these individuals, 42.9% were already deregistered voters, and 71.2% had no past voting records. Among records with birthplace information, 38.9% were listed as U.S.-born, though actual citizenship status was not verified.
Trent McCotter, Acting Assistant Attorney General, acknowledged on the 19th that U.S. citizens might have been included on the list, but maintained that California authorities’ cooperation is necessary for accurate verification.
The DHS stated, “We will restore the integrity of the election system so that only U.S. citizens elect U.S. leaders,” adding, “Individuals who are lawfully present and have not violated the law have nothing to fear.”
Conversely, Jessica Marsden, an attorney for the civil rights group Protect Democracy, criticized the move, stating, “The federal government is intervening in the state’s voter roll verification process in an unprecedented manner, which could discourage even legitimate voters from casting ballots.”
