California Senators Seek Probe of Alleged DHS Voter-Data Search

Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff announced that a whistleblower reported the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had been tasked with an “unlawful voter initiative.” According to the disclosure, the USCIS Fraud and Detection and National Security Directorate was instructed to use “highly questionable data and methods” to identify presumed unlawful voters, including U.S. citizens. Agency leaders allegedly set a quota of 40 subjects per day and monitored output to meet a target deadline in mid-September. The whistleblower also claimed USCIS staff were told to misrepresent themselves to obtain voter information, a move the senators say could violate California’s strict voter-registration privacy laws.

The Hill

The allegation follows a pattern of federal attempts to obtain state voter files. The Department of Justice previously sued several states for non-compliance, and a federal judge dismissed the DOJ’s suit against California in January, describing the request as “unprecedented and illegal.” The current claim adds a new layer, suggesting that DHS not only sought the data but also directed USCIS personnel to conduct a systematic search.

The Hill

Padilla and Schiff wrote to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, urging a review of the whistleblower’s 30-page disclosure. They argued that the alleged activity threatens California voters, especially naturalized citizens who could be wrongly labeled “unlawful voters.” The senators also said they have asked DHS Secretary Mark Wayne Mullin and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow to halt the initiative and brief Congress on its status. The letter emphasizes the need to protect California’s voter-information safeguards.

The Hill

If the whistleblower’s account is accurate, the actions could constitute unauthorized access to state voter records, exposing the federal agency to state-law violations and possible civil liability. Politically, the effort is framed by the senators as an attempt to manufacture evidence for election-fraud narratives ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The request for a state-level probe underscores the tension between federal immigration enforcement functions and state voter-privacy protections.

The Hill