The Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security are close to finalizing an agreement that would let the federal government use voter registration data from states for immigration enforcement and criminal investigations, CBS News first reported Thursday.
The Justice Department would share voter rolls that it’s collecting from states with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations unit so the agency could determine whether noncitizens are unlawfully registered or have cast ballots in past elections, sources told CBS.
When reached for comment, the Department of Homeland Security did not deny that it was seeking to use the sensitive data in its operations.
“Collaboration with the DOJ will lawfully and critically enable DHS to prevent illegal aliens from corrupting our republic’s democratic process and further ensure the integrity of our elections nationwide. Elections exist for the American people, not illegal aliens, to choose their leaders,” a spokesperson said.
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It’s unclear how quickly the data could be put to use — the DOJ’s attempt to seize voter rolls from states is facing more than a dozen legal challenges. The department’s Civil Rights Division said it needed the data to ensure that states were complying with federal voting laws.
Sources told CBS that the White House has also been in conversations with DOJ and DHS officials about the data-sharing partnership.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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