Voter files from Webb County and Forsyth County were shared with Department of Homeland Security Investigations agents, according to emails obtained through Democracy Forward records requests shared with Axios. The report comes as the SAVE Act, which would require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, has stalled in the Senate despite President Donald Trump’s push to advance the measure.An HSI “criminal analyst” initially emailed the Texas Secretary of State’s general counsel in April “seeking information referencing obtaining voter information; specifically dates and methods of registration, elections voted in etc.” Upon further communication in May, officers requested and received voter files from Webb County election officials.
Webb County Election Administrator Jose Castillo said this is the first time he’s received such a request and he’s directed HSI to submit public records requests for voter data moving forward.
“There’s nothing there,” he said. “But I get it, you’ve got to do your job.” Castillo added he’s seen two instances of an illegal immigrant voting out of more than 150,000 voters in four years.
The report suggests ICE expanded efforts as early as last fall to investigate alleged voting by illegal immigrants by investigating county election data. The now multi-agency effort to crack down on voting fraud comes ahead of midterm elections in November.
