Civil Rights Groups File Lawsuit Against USCIS and DHS Over Voter‑Investigation Program

Eight civil‑rights groups filed a lawsuit in California on October 28, 2026, challenging a federal initiative that investigates suspected non‑citizen voters. The complaint names USCIS Director Joseph Edlow and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin as defendants and alleges the program, called the "Unlawful Voter Initiative," directs immigration personnel to compile names for investigation over possible non‑citizen voting. The groups say the initiative reaches naturalized citizens through investigations that can threaten their ability to vote. The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the initiative violates the Civil Rights Act’s Uniform Standards Provision, the Privacy Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, and requests that the court vacate the initiative and require the government to destroy records created or kept through it. The complaint alleges investigators use outdated, error‑prone data and questionable methods, including agents posing as voters to search private voter‑registration records on state election websites. Thousands of naturalized citizens have faced improper investigations, door‑to‑door interrogations and possible disenfranchisement. The lawsuit also draws on a whistleblower report released by U.S. Senate Democrats in September that said the department was investigating naturalized citizens without their knowledge. The groups argue that the initiative casts naturalized and derivative citizens as potential criminals before putting their voting rights at risk. The lawsuit follows a separate federal case that has imposed limits on the initiative in nine states, with a judge issuing restrictions that expire at the end of Election Day, November 3. The department has asked for an emergency order allowing election‑related field operations to resume in those states. The case remains pending as the agencies have not yet responded to the request for comment.