Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) are pressing California Attorney General Rob Bonta to open an investigation into whistleblower allegations that the Trump administration improperly accessed the state's voter records.
In a letter sent Sunday, the senators said a whistleblower disclosed on Sept. 8 that the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had assigned its Fraud and Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) to what they described as an "unlawful voter initiative" relying on dubious data and methods to flag supposed illegal voters.
Padilla, the top Democrat on the Senate panel overseeing federal elections, and Schiff pointed to DHS and USCIS training materials that they said acknowledge the investigations would sweep in U.S. citizens, some of whom would face federal law enforcement records based on shaky data and hurried reviews by officers working under quotas.
According to the senators, the whistleblower claimed USCIS personnel were ordered to access voter information without authorization—a violation of state law. They added that the quotas required staff to investigate 40 subjects per day, with agency leaders monitoring output in a push to wrap up the probe by Sept. 12.
"The Trump administration appears to be undertaking this rushed effort to find—or manufacture—evidence for its baseless election conspiracy theories of widespread voter fraud ahead of the 2026 midterm elections," the California Democrats wrote, warning that labeling naturalized citizens as "unlawful voters" would have "serious consequences for Californians."
Padilla and Schiff further alleged that USCIS personnel were instructed to misrepresent themselves to obtain voter data, and that DHS provided that data to FDNS officers. They said the whistleblower was subsequently "dismissed" by agency leaders.
"Considering California's strong protections surrounding the use of voter registration information and [personally identifiable information], we believe this disclosure merits a review by your office to determine what actions are necessary and appropriate to protect California voters," the senators wrote to Bonta.
Padilla said in a separate statement that he and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had already called on DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow to halt the "unlawful voter initiative" and brief Congress on its activities.
The 30-page whistleblower disclosure alleged that employees were directed to search voter data despite concerns about violating state law, and were assured they would not be held personally liable—possibly indicating the agency "was aware that the activity may be illegal."
The Trump administration has previously sought voter data from multiple states, and the Department of Justice sued those that refused to comply. A federal judge dismissed the DOJ's suit against California in January, calling the government's request "unprecedented and illegal."
The request for a state probe comes amid broader concerns over federal overreach, as seen in other controversial moves like the administration's challenges to judicial independence. The senators' action also follows recent pressure on the White House over foreign policy, including calls to take a tougher stance on Taiwan and diplomatic maneuvering on Iran.
