Federal Agents Visit Homes in Several States Ahead of Midterm Elections

Armed federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security have been visiting homes in several states as part of an effort to identify potential noncitizen voters ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

The agents are reportedly asking residents about their immigration status and whether they have registered to vote or cast ballots in past elections. This move is aimed at rooting out individuals who may be ineligible to participate in the electoral process.

Critics argue that this operation could intimidate lawful voters, particularly those from minority communities. Experts also dispute the accuracy of a claim made by DHS that up to 250,000 American citizens may be registered to vote illegally.

Some have expressed concern that the federal government is overstepping its bounds by inserting itself into state-run voter verification processes. This move has been challenged in court by advocacy groups, who argue it represents an unprecedented level of federal involvement in election administration.

Federal agents have been conducting home visits across California as part of an investigation into potential election fraud. These visits intensified in September, coinciding with the midterm campaign season. The heightened activity continued over the weekend.

The Justice Department announced on Monday that Homeland Security agents had arrested more than 20 individuals in California, all of whom are green card holders. They face allegations of having registered or cast votes illegally. As part of this operation, a large number of federal agents descended upon the residence of a 72-year-old man from Belize.

The man was taken into custody while still wearing his pajamas and is accused of having voted improperly in four past elections. This move has been met with support from some quarters, with DHS stating that it is actively investigating election fraud wherever it can be found. However, others have expressed concerns about the extent to which federal authorities are becoming involved in local election administration.

Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have been conducting at-home visits to track down alleged noncitizen voters as part of a "surge initiative. Typically, HSI focuses on criminal cross-border investigations such as child exploitation and drug smuggling.

Internal documents reviewed by CBS News reveal that hundreds of agents were reassigned from their usual cases to pursue voter fraud allegations in six states: California, Georgia, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin. The effort is part of a Criminal Voter Fraud" initiative that includes field reviews in these regions.

A photo posted on HSI's Kansas City account shows four agents at the door of Mariana Alexandra Dewey, a Peruvian national who was charged with voter-fraud related crimes including casting an illegal ballot in the 2024 election.

The case of Mariana Alexandra Dewey is still pending in court, awaiting its turn to be heard by a judge.

Dewey's lawyer has declined to comment on her case, despite requests from CBS News.

Dr. S expressed concern that the actions of federal agents are sending a chilling message to potential voters: stay away from the polls and refrain from casting your ballot.

The list of individuals targeted by HSI is extensive and compiled through various sources, including internal databases, voter rolls, and other datasets. This initiative has raised concerns among some officials who fear it may be having an unintended impact on eligible citizens. A DHS spokesperson defended the program, stating that it is conducted diligently and professionally.

A whistleblower from USCIS came forward in September, alleging that employees were asked to review the voting records of tens of thousands of individuals across the country, including U.S. citizens. This revelation has sparked controversy over the scope and methodology of the data matching program.

A recent revelation about the data matching program used by Homeland Security officials has raised concerns over its methodology and scope. According to Marsden, there is no quota on criminality in the program's criteria for identifying noncitizens.

This lack of clear guidelines has led experts to question the accuracy of the results, with many expecting a significant number of false positives among the lists of allegedly ineligible voters. In fact, officials had initially claimed that nearly 16,000 noncitizens were found on Nevada's voter rolls, but ultimately failed to provide evidence of any single illegally registered voter.