Trump Administration Increases Efforts to Investigate Voter Fraud

<p>The Trump administration has announced plans for increased investigations into alleged non-citizen voter fraud in the lead-up to the upcoming election. Officials have stated that Americans should expect a rise in arrests and prosecutions related to these allegations.</p><hr /><ul><li>A Justice Department official indicated on Tuesday, "This initiative is a tier one priority. It's a top priority for the attorney general and for the White House."</li></ul><p>According to a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) official, there are currently 1,600 open cases of potential voter fraud, with 160 arrests made to date.</p><ul><li>HSI agents are examining publicly available voter data to identify instances of non-citizens registering or voting illegally. The FBI is also involved in these investigations.</li><li>This year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged 24 immigrants as part of this initiative, which includes both undocumented immigrants and legal residents.</li><li>The DOJ official stated that the number of prosecutions is expected to increase significantly each week leading up to the election.</li></ul><p>To facilitate these investigations, HSI staff have redirected their focus from other priorities, as these cases require intensive agent time.</p><ul><li>Typically, HSI agents handle cases related to smuggling, trafficking, financial fraud, and sexual exploitation.</li></ul><p>Additionally, staff from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, who usually focus on immigration fraud, have been assigned to search for potential non-citizens in state voter files.</p><ul><li>According to reports, these staff members have referred thousands of potential non-citizens to HSI for investigation.</li><li>For a period of three weeks, the fraud team was dedicated solely to reviewing voter files, as confirmed by a source familiar with the agency's operations.</li></ul><p>While instances of mistaken registrations and non-citizen voting are rare, they have historically been investigated by the federal government.</p><ul><li>The current administration's emphasis on these investigations is considered unprecedented by some federal and local election officials.</li><li>A former senior Justice Department official remarked, "It's not typical and it's not appropriate."</li></ul><p>In July, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherril disclosed that 6,600 non-citizens were registered to vote due to a software error.</p><ul><li>The DOJ official noted that similar system errors have occurred in other states, but did not specify if any officials or vendors responsible for these errors would face accountability.</li></ul><p>Mike Davis, founder of the Article III Project, stated, "These investigations and these indictments are a major deterrent for this election" against illegal voting. He added, "There's a new sheriff in town: His name is Donald Trump, and if illegals vote in our elections, they will be prosecuted and deported."</p>