HSI Reviewed Voter Groups and Considered Undercover Work

Homeland Security Investigations examined voter-registration organizations in multiple states and considered using undercover agents to investigate groups suspected of helping noncitizens register, according to internal records obtained by Democracy Forward. The records do not establish that HSI carried out the proposed election-related undercover operations. The documents describe a broader investigation by HSI, the investigative arm of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, involving nonprofit groups, voter data and state election activity. Investigators used nonprofit search tools and other databases to look for information about organizations. Pennsylvania and New Jersey were identified as areas of focus, while records also refer to reviews in Ohio, Minnesota and other states. In Pennsylvania, HSI reviewed at least 82 organizations, including the state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, according to the released records. The agency also examined retailer Zumiez, though the records do not explain why.