Federal judge restricts DHS field operations looking for noncitizen voters
A federal judge has restricted Department of Homeland Security field operations aimed at identifying noncitizen voters, citing concerns over voter intimidation and the use of flawed data. The ruling prevents agents from targeting individuals based on unreliable matching data that may incorrectly identify U.S. citizens.
Why it matters
The decision addresses the intersection of immigration enforcement and voting rights, highlighting the legal risks of using automated data matching in sensitive election-related activities.
A federal judge in California is putting limits on pre-election field operations conducted by the Department of Homeland Security that the agency says is aimed at trying to find noncitizens who have illegally voted in nine states.
In recent weeks, armed Homeland Security Investigations officers have carried out field operations and visited homes to interview people suspected of illegally voting as noncitizens. The targets can include people who became citizens but voted before they naturalized.
In a 19-page order late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, an appointee of President Joe Biden, wrote that the federal government was using "flawed" data in the initiative and that its efforts likely violated the Voting Rights Act, which bars voter intimidation.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in