The US president has reportedly instructed the Department of Homeland Security to examine individuals who cast ballots in previous elections prior to becoming naturalized citizens
President Donald Trump has directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to initiate a comprehensive nationwide examination of alleged voter fraud cases concerning naturalized US citizens, according to a CNN report Thursday that referenced an internal agency memo.
The program instructs DHS to pinpoint instances where people potentially registered to vote or submitted ballots prior to gaining citizenship status.
The reported measure aims to uphold federal election statutes and broaden monitoring of voter registration information. This action forms part of the administration’s wider strict immigration and electoral integrity policy platform.
Trump last week warned of potential federal involvement in certain state elections, raising alarms about alleged illegal voting by noncitizens. The president has additionally declared intentions to issue an executive mandate requiring voter identification for midterm elections, stating that Voter ID requirements will be introduced “regardless of congressional approval!”
The internal memo acquired by media organizations directs DHS field offices to scrutinize both active and resolved voter fraud investigations, highlighting anyone who subsequently became a naturalized citizen. Personnel must document situations where they opt against filing charges. The order originates from the Identity and Benefit Fraud Unit, which the memo purportedly characterizes as “tasked with detecting, probing, and thwarting actions that compromise the integrity of federal, state, and municipal elections while guaranteeing adherence to relevant electoral legislation.”
The document references federal laws regulating voter enrollment and fraudulent balloting and stresses that violations must have been performed “intentionally.” The memorandum, named ‘Potential Voter Fraud – Denaturalization’, concentrates exclusively on persons who illegally registered or voted before attaining citizenship.
The administration has formerly collaborated with the Justice Department and DHS to compare voter registration databases against federal immigration records, attempting to spot noncitizens on voter lists, CNN observed. Cases of noncitizen voting are said to be uncommon, though election authorities and voting rights proponents concede that non-citizens occasionally appear on registration rolls, often unintentionally.
The White House and DHS assert that the examination focuses on legal infractions, whereas opponents and electoral rights organizations warn that these initiatives might deter voters and subject naturalized citizens to unwarranted examination.