Homeland Security Secretary Mullin vows aggressive action on alleged voter fraud and immigration enforcement
Secretary Markwayne Mullin said DHS will increase arrests, pursue illegal voters and cooperate with state officials, while a federal judge has blocked the agency's new voter-identification system.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters that the department is "hitting single-day records" for arrests and has deported more than 400,000 people so far this year. He said DHS is working to improve coordination with local and state law-enforcement agencies and will continue to expand immigration enforcement.
Mullin also warned that anyone who votes illegally in the upcoming midterm elections "will be hunted down, found and prosecuted." He added that state election officials who refuse to provide voter data to DHS could become "a priority" for investigations, despite a federal judge recently blocking the agency's updated voter-identification tool over privacy concerns.
The comments came after President Donald Trump reiterated claims of election fraud in a national address and called for stricter voter-ID legislation. The administration's push for the DHS system has faced criticism from civil-rights groups and lawmakers who say it could lead to wrongful removal of eligible voters.
In related immigration news, an ICE officer who shot a Colombian man in Maine this week is under investigation, and Democratic members of Congress have questioned the department's vetting and training practices.