Armed and uniformed federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security have been knocking on doors in several states to ask residents about their immigration status and whether they have registered or voted in past elections, a CBS News investigation found.
The operation, part of an effort to root out potential noncitizen voters before the midterms, ramped up in September. Internal documents describe a "Criminal Voter Fraud" initiative with "field reviews" in at least six states: California, Georgia, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin. Hundreds of Homeland Security Investigations agents were reportedly pulled off other cases for the effort.

DHS has alleged that as many as 250,000 people could be illegally registered to vote, a figure election experts dispute. According to the Justice Department, 156 people have been charged with voting fraud-related offenses since the start of the Trump administration, out of 227 million registered voters. This week, DHS agents in California arrested more than 20 green card holders accused of illegally registering or voting.
Critics say armed agents at the door could intimidate legal voters. "They are doing it in a way that seems maximally designed to scare lawful voters from participating," said Jessica Marsden of Protect Democracy, which is suing over the campaign. A DHS spokesperson said the agency is committed to "ensuring that American citizens and only American citizens are electing American leaders."