Schumer & Padilla Announce New DHS Whistleblower, Who Reveals Trump Administration Pushed Agents To Break State Laws In Baseless Voter Fraud Hunt; Schumer, Padilla Expose[...]

Whistleblower Reveals DHS Leadership Is Pushing Officers To Illegally Access Sensitive Voter Data In Effort To Substantiate Trump's Unfounded And Debunked Voter Fraud Claims

Bombshell Anonymous Disclosure Uncovers Use Of "Supplemental Magic" To Compile Lists And Thousands Of Violations Of State Laws Protecting Sensitive Voter Data At The Urging Of DHS Leadership

Schumer, Padilla Demand DHS Immediately Terminate Illegal Initiative At The Center Of Bombshell Whistleblower Allegation

Washington, D.C. - Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Board Security and Immigration, announced the receipt of a new whistleblower disclosure that alleges the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is directing immigration officers to violate state laws as a part of its "Unlawful Voter Initiative," an effort aimed at confirming President Trump's erroneous and unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud. In response to the compelling evidence of this and other wrongdoing in the disclosure, Schumer and Padilla are demanding DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph B. Edlow immediately halt the "Unlawful Voter Initiative" and provide an urgent report to Congress on its activities.

Following reports of the launch of a vast "Unlawful Voter Initiative" at DHS, an anonymous DHS whistleblower has come forward with a disclosure reporting illegal, deceptive and reckless practices that the Trump administration is undertaking ahead of the midterm elections. The disclosure alleges that DHS leadership has abruptly diverted U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate ("FDNS") officers from their national security-related duties and directed them instead to use illegal procedures and questionable data to identify purported "unlawful voters," and create federal law enforcement records against them.

The disclosure alleges that:

1. DHS agents are being ordered to violate state laws and access sensitive voter information under false pretenses
   • Agents assigned to the "Unlawful Voter Initiative" are directed to use personal information from DHS data to lie to access voter information on state voter registration websites, making false attestations that they are a voter or are acting with a voter's express authorization in order to access sensitive voter data.
2. Leadership is pressuring USCIS personnel to create law enforcement records with information that is likely to be false, which will have serious negative consequences for eligible American voters and other innocent individuals
   • USCIS headquarters admits that DHS data can conflict with state records and contain both uncertainties and inconsistencies. Yet agency leadership directed officers to create TECS records that relied solely on unreliable DHS-provided voting or registration data, even if officers believe it to be unreliable.
3. Known U.S. citizens are being swept up into the initiative, based on faulty and rushed data that DHS compiled using "supplemental magic"
   • Naturalized U.S. citizens are being investigated through this initiative without their knowledge or ability to correct erroneous data, with law enforcement records being generated against them. Agents are facing demanding quotas and unrealistic timelines requiring 5 investigations per hour, or 12 minutes each, only further compounding errors. These records can have significant consequences that extend well beyond the electoral process, including inspections by CBP personnel at ports of entry, negative impacts on immigration benefits, and referral to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) as a result of being wrongfully determined to be an "unlawful voter" due to rushed, faulty data relied on through this initiative.

"These activities are especially alarming just weeks before the 2026 midterm elections. They also must be seen in the context of the repeated, unverified claims by President Trump of widespread noncitizen voter fraud, including those made during his July 16, 2026, prime-time address from the White House," the Senators wrote. "Over the past several weeks, CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and ProPublica and other outlets have reported on the intense White House pressure on DHS and other agencies to back up the President's baseless claims of widespread election fraud… In light of this Disclosure, DHS and USCIS must (1) be transparent about what they intend to do with the unreliable records they are generating; (2) immediately stop this initiative and related activities; and (3) remove any TECS or other law enforcement records generated from it."

Reports of the establishment of the "Unlawful Voter Initiative" emerged earlier this month, with the New York Times reporting that hundreds of agents have been designated to participate in this hunt for individuals voting illegally. The whistleblower's report shows that this initiative is a "diversion of resources," pulling agents who otherwise specialize in national security threats or immigration enforcement.

"The Department of Homeland Security is sending hundreds of officers who should be focused on our security on a wild goose chase to prove Trump's long-debunked election conspiracy theories - and DHS is telling officers to lie to do it. This new DHS initiative is nothing more than an unlawful order by the government to silence the voices of Americans," said Leader Schumer. "As Trump tries to rig the results, Senate Democrats continue to make sure that in the upcoming midterms, all votes will be counted and all voices can be heard. I am thankful that we have brave public servants - like the whistleblower who brought forward this complaint - who are holding the administration accountable. Trump may try to steal this election but we will make sure he can never be successful."

"Donald Trump and his Administration are obsessed with election conspiracy theories and operate under the wrong assumption that they are above the law - they are not," said Senator Padilla. "The whistleblower's disclosure outlines shocking allegations of unlawful and unethical conduct that includes potentially thousands of violations of state law and the use of highly questionable data, which they refer to as 'supplemental magic' to falsely flag naturalized U.S. citizens as ineligible voters in federal law enforcement records. At the same time, USCIS is directing employees to ignore the law in search of voters' personal information because this Administration's unlawful attempts to coerce states to hand over their voter rolls have been rejected by the courts. I thank the whistleblower for the bravery and integrity to come forward with these shocking reports and for standing up for the rule of law. Secretary Mullin must be transparent and shut down this sham 'investigation' now. I will do everything in my power to ensure accountability for anyone involved with it."

Trump faces a midterm electorate in the midst of his historically unpopular presidency. The American people are reeling as his policies have sent costs skyrocketing and our security is threatened by his Iran War, but instead, he seems most consumed with repainting the reflecting pool and making a ballroom for the White House. Rather than working to bring down costs and rein in corruption, he's turned his focus to rigging the upcoming midterms. Trump has worked tirelessly to stifle mail-in voting, threaten nonpartisan election works, and systematically cast doubt on the results of the election. From a primetime address to Supreme Court petitions, Trump is working to undermine democracy in a way not previously seen in the modern era.

Senate Democrats recognize the seriousness of Trump's attempts to meddle in the upcoming elections and are working to ensure that every American's voice can be heard. In April, Leader Schumer led the formation of the largest and earliest election protection effort in history, which brought together Senate Democrats and top election officials to work to identify any and all threats to our upcoming elections. In June, Leader Schumer and Senator Padilla launched the Senate Democrats' new Election Observer Program, a first-of-its-kind Senate initiative to train Senate staff to serve as official election observers and protect against any meddling in the 2026 midterm elections.

Leader Schumer and Senator Padilla's letter to Secretary Mullin and Director Edlow, which includes the whistleblower's disclosure, is available here and copied below.