Trump noncitizen voting probe yields few charges
The gist
The Justice Department charged 156 immigrants with voting or registering unlawfully ahead of the midterms.
A Reuters review found just 129 such federal cases since 1996, many from error.
How it unfolded
- 1996Congress created a federal 'voting by aliens' statute.
- Aug 2026DHS launched the Unlawful Voter Initiative, directing US Citizenship and Immigration Services personnel to generate lists of people to investigate for possibly voting without being US citizens.
- Oct 13, 2026The Justice Department demanded in a letter that California not count ballots from about 20,000 registered voters it said federal agencies reasonably believe are likely noncitizens without first verifying citizenship, warning election workers could face prosecution.