Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued a stark warning to noncitizens on Tuesday, vowing that his agency would “hunt down” anyone who casts a ballot illegally in the midterm elections. In a post on X, Mullin wrote: “If you vote illegally in this country, and you are NOT eligible to vote, @DHSgov will find you, hunt you down, and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Only American citizens should be deciding American elections.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement amplified the message, posting on social media: “There will be no escape.” The agency’s account did not provide specific details on how it would identify or track potential violators, but the aggressive rhetoric underscores the Trump administration’s intensified focus on election integrity as the midterms draw to a close.
Federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in national elections, though a handful of states and localities allow them to participate in local contests. The administration has made a forceful push to scrub noncitizens from voter rolls, dispatching threatening letters to election officials and, in some cases, taking legal action against states that refuse to hand over voter registration data.
The Justice Department recently accused California of having more than 20,000 “likely noncitizens” on its rolls, a figure that independent analyses have disputed. A federal judge later ordered the administration to stop threatening California officials with criminal prosecution over the matter. Similar claims have been made against other Democratic-led states, but no federal database exists to verify citizenship status, and records are often outdated or inaccurate.
In September, The New York Times reported that DHS had alleged Nevada had nearly 16,000 possible noncitizens on its rolls. After state officials investigated, they revised the number down to 185, and ultimately found that all 185 were U.S. citizens. Multiple academic studies have concluded that noncitizen voting is not a widespread problem in American elections.
New Jersey did uncover instances of noncitizen voting earlier this year, but those were traced to a software glitch. More than 6,000 people were erroneously registered, though fewer than 400 actually cast ballots. Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) said the state corrected the error once she was notified.
The DHS and ICE posts drew sharp rebukes from Democrats and some Republicans. California Gov. Gavin Newsom fired back on X, adopting the same language as ICE: “If YOU show up to the polls illegally, we will find you. We will track you down, arrest you, and prosecute you. There will be no escape.” Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) mocked the threat, writing: “Watch out!! ICE is gonna deport the literally dozens of people who do this.”
The escalating war of words comes as Newsom warns of a possible Democratic wave and as Republicans fret over the political fallout from international crises. The administration’s hardline stance on noncitizen voting has become a central theme in the final stretch of the campaign, with some GOP figures warning that foreign policy could hurt their chances.
Polls opened across the country Tuesday morning, with the first closing at 6 p.m. EST. Election officials are urging voters to remain calm and focused on the process, even as federal agencies issue dire warnings and prominent voices describe the midterms as a fight for democracy itself.
