Trump Administration Sued Over Secret Voter Data Collection
The Department of Homeland Security has obtained sensitive voter files from at least 47 states through a secretive data collection initiative, according to a federal lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C. The complaint, brought by civil rights and privacy organizations less than three weeks before Election Day, challenges the Trump administration’s efforts to aggregate state voter rolls with commercial datasets.
Federal Lawsuit Challenges Department of Homeland Security Voter Data Collection
The legal action targets what plaintiffs describe as an unlawful federal intrusion into election administration. Filed by the League of Women Voters, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, and the League of United Latin American Citizens, the complaint alleges that the Department of Homeland Security ignored federal privacy safeguards and statutory protections when gathering the records. Fox News Digital reported that the agency obtained these files despite officials in 30 states having previously refused federal demands to turn over voter information.
The lawsuit urges the federal court to declare the data collection illegal, block the policy, and order the agency to delete and cease using the records it has already gathered. The Department of Justice has simultaneously demanded expansive voter information from at least 39 states while attempting to use federal courts to enforce compliance. Plaintiffs argue these executive branch actions override the U.S. Constitution, which vests the power to regulate and administer elections primarily in the states or Congress.
Justice Department Targets California Voter Rolls Over Noncitizen Claims
Parallel to the nationwide data collection effort, the Department of Justice sued California election officials in federal court, arguing they failed to act quickly enough to review voter registration lists. The federal government identified roughly 20,000 individuals on California rolls as “likely” noncitizens following a review conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The Justice Department asked a judge to block the state from counting mail-in ballots from those specific voters unless their eligibility can be confirmed.
State election officials disputed the timeline and methodology. The California secretary of state’s office stated it was given only 48 hours to review the 20,000 names and asserted that federal authorities failed to provide the underlying evidence or methodology supporting the claims.
Ongoing Legal Battles Over Federal Election Authority
The administration has repeatedly argued that noncitizen voting poses a significant threat to election integrity, although formal studies and prosecutions have found documented instances of noncitizens casting ballots to be rare. Federal courts have routinely rejected prior administration attempts to compel states to hand over voter information.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the federal lawsuit. The new complaints add to a series of legal confrontations between federal authorities and state election administrators over jurisdiction, data privacy, and the management of voter rolls.