Federal immigration investigators reviewed tens of millions of voter records while searching for suspected noncitizen voters, newly released documents show. The ICE voter records investigation also examined registration groups and considered using undercover agents.
The records provide new details about an election initiative led by Homeland Security Investigations, or HSI. The agency serves as the criminal investigative division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE Reviewed Two Large Record Sets
A June 1 HSI report said investigators processed 50.6 million records from a Department of Justice dataset. They also received 48.4 million records from what the report called “independent sources of information.”
The documents do not identify those independent sources. They also do not establish whether the two datasets contained unique individuals or included duplicate records.
Heather Honey, a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, reportedly provided the second dataset. Honey joined the department after challenging election results and voter data following the 2020 presidential election.
Some of the information may have included public voter lists from California, Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Federal officials previously purchased and analyzed voter data from those states.
More than a dozen Republican-led states also provided unredacted voter lists to the Justice Department. The department has sued other states seeking access to their voter information, CNN reported.
Registration Groups Faced Federal Scrutiny
Democracy Forward obtained the 166 pages of documents through a Freedom of Information Act request. The legal advocacy organization sought information about ICE’s involvement in election investigations.
According to the records, HSI examined nonprofit and voter-registration organizations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and other states. Investigators searched for evidence that groups helped noncitizens register to vote.
Several reviews did not uncover evidence of wrongdoing. Investigators found no negative information involving dozens of New Jersey organizations.
Another nonprofit review found no suspicious financial activity. HSI also closed a separate Ohio inquiry after investigators exhausted available leads.
However, HSI and the FBI developed investigative plans involving several Ohio companies. Federal agents later executed search warrants connected to an investigation into alleged registration fraud.
The heavily redacted records do not identify every target. They also do not connect every organization reviewed by investigators to illegal activity.
ICE Considered Using Undercover Agents
A June report said HSI considered sending undercover agents into organizations suspected of encouraging or facilitating illegal voter registration. New Jersey and Pennsylvania were identified as priority locations.
Undercover personnel could have gathered evidence and traced financial support. However, the documents do not confirm that ICE approved or conducted those operations.
HSI also monitored primary elections for trends, vulnerabilities or other indicators that investigators believed could affect election integrity. Officials prepared weekly reports about the different projects.
Some reports were shared with White House personnel, according to emails included in the document release.
Investigators also reportedly used a Palantir data tool called ELITE to process voter information. Palantir says the tool helps integrate data and locate foreign nationals who meet removal criteria.
DHS Defends the Voter Records Review
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the department has been transparent about acquiring and analyzing publicly available voter files.
The spokesperson said DHS and the Justice Department are focused on prosecuting noncitizens who vote. The agencies maintain that the investigations protect ballots legally cast by U.S. citizens.
Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections. A violation can bring criminal penalties and immigration consequences.
However, election administrators and independent studies have consistently found noncitizen voting to be rare. Federal officials recently announced 50 alleged noncitizen voting cases among 90 election-related prosecutions.
More than 152 million ballots were cast during the 2024 presidential election.
ICE Requests Reached Texas Counties
The federal initiative has also reached Texas. Earlier records showed that HSI agents requested information about individual voters from election officials in Webb County.
The county provided records in response. Webb County’s election administrator said he encountered two cases of noncitizen voting among more than 150,000 voters over four years, Axios reported.
The disclosures leave unresolved questions about the sources of some records and how federal agencies will use the information. Voting-rights advocates also warn that inaccurate data matches could place eligible citizens under scrutiny before the 2026 midterm elections.
