US Immigration Agency Scrutinized Tens of Millions of Voter Records

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement accessed and reviewed tens of millions of voter records as part of an effort to identify noncitizens registered to vote, according to records obtained by news organizations. The scope of the agency's data review appears substantially broader than previously disclosed public statements about such efforts.

The examination included detailed cross-referencing of voter registration databases with immigration records maintained by federal authorities. ICE officials have characterized such reviews as routine administrative procedures designed to identify potential violations of voting eligibility requirements. However, the scale of the record access has prompted civil liberties advocates and lawmakers to question what safeguards were in place during the process.

Authorities have not disclosed the specific number of noncitizens identified through the review or what actions, if any, were taken based on the findings. The agency's access to voter records raises broader questions about data-sharing protocols between immigration authorities and state and local election officials.

Election security experts have expressed concern about the potential for such reviews to produce false positives or compromise voter registration data. State election officials have also raised concerns about whether ICE's access to their databases complied with applicable privacy laws and inter-agency information-sharing agreements.