Assistant Attorney General Dhillon Defends Investigation into Noncitizen Voting

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon addressed concerns about the Trump administration’s efforts to investigate noncitizen voters ahead of the midterm elections during an interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes.” Dhillon countered claims of sowing distrust in the election system, stating, “The distrust is there.” She highlighted the ongoing prosecutions of election-related crimes, noting the first-time focus on noncitizen voting cases in substantial volume.

In response to host Lesley Stahl’s assertion that noncitizen voter numbers are “tiny,” Dhillon emphasized the scope of ongoing investigations. “We’ve been in office for less than two years,” she explained, with thousands of cases under review.

The DOJ’s approach to scrutinizing voter rolls represents a significant shift from previous administrations. Dhillon asserted that the aim is not limited to wide-scale fraud, but to investigate all credible leads and prosecute every substantial case. This strategy was bolstered by reports from New Jersey’s Governor revealing thousands of noncitizens on voter rolls.

Dhillon clarified there are “no plans” to deploy ICE agents to polling places, addressing concerns aired during the interview that Trump may challenge midterm results.

Every illegal vote cancels out a lawful American vote,” a DOJ spokesperson stated, stressing the importance of protecting election integrity.

CBS was asked for comment but had not responded at the time of reporting.