Federal agents knock on doors to track down possible noncitizen voters ahead of midterms

Agents question residents at home

Homeland Security agents in uniform have been asking residents about their immigration status and past voting activity, according to a CBS News investigation. Some agents shown in photos and videos posted on X were carrying firearms.

The home visits increased in September, during the midterm campaign, and continued over the past weekend. Critics say the presence of armed federal officers at residents’ doors may intimidate people who are legally eligible to vote.

The Justice Department announced Monday that Homeland Security agents arrested more than 20 people in California. All were green card holders accused of illegally registering to vote or casting ballots.

A shift in enforcement work

In June, the Department of Homeland Security directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help deport people alleged to be noncitizen voters. Homeland Security Investigations, which is carrying out the visits, is an enforcement arm of ICE.

The agency typically handles criminal investigations involving cross-border activity, including child exploitation, drug smuggling and money laundering. Former HSI agent Eric Balliet described the door-to-door effort as a major departure from conventional law enforcement work.

A DHS spokesperson said HSI is investigating election fraud and that the department aims to ensure only U.S. citizens elect American leaders.

How officials identify cases

A HSI agent familiar with the initiative, who spoke anonymously, said the department draws on internal databases, voter rolls and other datasets. Employees then try to match names with citizenship information from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

DHS has defended the matching program and USCIS’s work to identify possible noncitizen voters. Marsden said the lists could contain many false positives.

Concerns about voting access

Dr. Carol Anderson, a professor of African American Studies at Emory University, said the operation could discourage a wider group from voting. She said the message people may receive is not to go to the polls.