As part of President Donald Trump’s renewed push for election integrity, Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to scrutinize voting practices nationwide, with a particular focus on enforcing federal election laws.
Leading the initiative is the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, which has been actively reaching out to states to obtain information about their election procedures and voter registration records—commonly referred to as “voter rolls.” A central objective of this outreach is identifying noncitizens who may appear on those lists.
“Election integrity starts with clean voter rolls. That’s the foundation for secure elections,” a DOJ source told Fox News. “There’s been a culture of noncompliance from several states that don’t keep their rolls updated. This DOJ is cracking down.”
States such as Wisconsin and Utah have disclosed their communications with the DOJ on their official websites. However, not all states have cooperated. In New Hampshire, the Republican secretary of state rejected the DOJ’s request for a statewide voter database, citing legal limitations on such data sharing.
In California, the department sent letters to several local election offices requesting detailed personal information about any noncitizens listed on the voter rolls. One jurisdiction, Orange County, declined to comply—prompting the DOJ to file a lawsuit. County attorneys argued that federal law allows local election officials to protect sensitive voter data.
The wave of enforcement activity follows an executive order signed by President Trump in March, directing the attorney general to work with states to enhance election integrity. The order calls for a review of how states manage voter registration lists, encourages data-sharing agreements, supports prosecution of election-related crimes, and authorizes penalties for states that refuse to cooperate.
The directive has sparked backlash from some Democrat-led states, several of which filed lawsuits challenging the order. A federal judge in Massachusetts issued a temporary block on certain provisions, stating that “the Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections.” The DOJ is currently appealing the ruling.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., criticized the initiative, suggesting it was designed to suppress minority turnout.
“These efforts, made under the guise of combating fraud, will disproportionately endanger voters of color, low-income communities, and active-duty military personnel,” Durbin said.
President Trump has consistently expressed concerns about voter fraud, alleging widespread abuse and the participation of illegal immigrants in elections—claims that remain largely unproven.
Although election officials in various states have identified and removed noncitizens from voter rolls through routine maintenance, actual instances of those individuals casting votes are exceedingly rare. A recent analysis from the Center for Election Innovation and Research concluded that “existing safeguards are broadly effective.”
Still, there have been isolated incidents. In one notable case last October, a Chinese national was accused of illegally voting in Michigan’s 2024 election. The individual, a University of Michigan student residing legally in the U.S., reportedly used student ID credentials and other information to register and vote on the same day. He now faces charges of voter fraud and perjury.
