Civil rights groups have sued the Trump administration over its efforts to identify noncitizens who may have voted in US elections, alleging that the initiative is intimidating naturalised American citizens and putting their voting rights at risk.
The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in a California federal court by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and its affiliates.
The groups also accused the administration of pressuring state election officials to reject ballots from certain voters based on inaccurate eligibility data, potentially undermining public confidence ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that noncitizen voting is widespread in American elections, an allegation that has been widely debunked.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that the administration had issued more than 100 subpoenas seeking records relating to tens of thousands of voters across at least a dozen states as part of its investigation.
“The administration can’t keep creating political stunts to sow distrust in our elections and lay the groundwork to question results they don’t like,” said Theresa Lee, an attorney with the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project.
Homeland Security Officials Named In Lawsuit
The lawsuit names the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its secretary, Markwayne Mullin, as defendants, alongside US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and its director, Joseph Edlow.
DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In August, DHS launched the Unlawful Voter Initiative, directing USCIS personnel to compile lists of individuals suspected of potentially voting without US citizenship, which is a legal requirement for voting in federal elections.
Since then, the Justice Department has brought more than 100 cases accusing individuals of illegal voting by noncitizens.
The administration has also pursued legal action to prevent California from counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 registered voters it alleges are noncitizens.
The ACLU said the initiative had resulted in thousands of fully naturalised US citizens being subjected to improper investigations, door-to-door questioning and the potential loss of their voting rights.
The groups allege that the initiative violates the Civil Rights Act, privacy protections and laws governing administrative procedures.
They are seeking to have the programme overturned and records created or maintained under the initiative destroyed.
Court Restrictions Could Expire After Midterm Elections
Last week, a federal judge in California imposed restrictions on the initiative in nine states.
However, the plaintiffs warned that the restrictions would expire at the end of Election Day on November 3, potentially allowing the programme to be used in future federal elections.
The lawsuit comes as Trump’s Republican Party faces a closely contested battle to retain control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.
