Inside Trump’s Failed Hunt for Noncitizen Voters

**Trump Administration’s Push to Prosecute Noncitizen Voters Yields Few Cases, Investigation Finds**

Federal efforts to uncover widespread illegal voting by noncitizens under the Trump administration have produced minimal results despite extensive resources, according to an investigation by ProPublica. Internal documents and interviews reveal that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, was deployed nationwide to pursue election fraud cases, but few prosecutions have materialized.

The initiative, which began in 2025, tasked HSI agents with investigating leads generated by cross-referencing state voter rolls with federal immigration databases. However, ProPublica’s analysis of Justice Department data found that between January 2025 and May 2026, fewer than 150 alleged noncitizen voters were referred for prosecution. Only 41 were charged with illegal voting or related offenses—an outcome that contrasts sharply with the administration’s claims of rampant fraud.

In Minnesota, internal emails reviewed by ProPublica show that federal prosecutors reported frustration with the effort. Joe Teirab, second-in-command at the state’s U.S. attorney’s office, described the HSI task force as “disjointed and disorganized” in a March 2026 email. After subpoenaing records on approximately 130 individuals, only one case was referred for prosecution. Teirab noted that agents had overwhelmed local election offices with demands for voting histories, demonstrating a “complete lack of understanding” of how to investigate illegal voting.

The administration has defended the effort, with White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stating that President Trump is committed to ensuring “totally accurate and up-to-date voter rolls free of errors and unlawfully registered non-citizen voters.” A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson described the cross-referencing of voter rolls with immigration data as a straightforward measure to secure elections.

However, career officials at the Justice Department and HSI had previously warned that the approach could violate federal privacy laws and produce unreliable results. Critics argue that the administration’s focus on noncitizen voting aligns with broader efforts to tighten federal control over elections while fueling skepticism about the integrity of the voting process.

Studies and state audits have consistently shown that illegal voting by noncitizens is rare. In many cases, noncitizens are mistakenly registered due to administrative errors. Last month, New Jersey officials disclosed that a Motor Vehicle Commission error had led to the registration of 6,600 noncitizens, though fewer than 400 voted.

Former officials have questioned the use of HSI, an agency typically focused on transnational crimes like drug trafficking and terrorism, to target individual voter fraud cases. Steve Bunnell, a former DHS general counsel, compared the effort to “going after some cleaning lady who’s been working in the United States for 20 years” rather than high-level criminal enterprises.

HSI, which has access to extensive law enforcement databases, was created after the September 11 attacks. While part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), it has historically avoided involvement in immigration enforcement. The agency’s expanded role in election fraud investigations marks a significant shift under the Trump administration.

ProPublica continues to report on the administration’s use of HSI in immigration and election-related cases. The news organization has invited current and former HSI employees with relevant information to share details through secure channels.