Trump voting effort leads to 160 arrests, official says

Administration reports enforcement totals

The Trump administration’s government-wide effort to identify and prosecute noncitizens illegally listed on state voter rolls has generated about 1,600 voter-fraud cases and 160 arrests. Matthew Millhollin, a senior official with Homeland Security Investigations, announced the figures during a press briefing Tuesday.

Millhollin described the cases and arrests as results of the administration’s focus on noncitizen voting. The case total is approximate, while the arrest figure is 160. Taken together, the figures amount to roughly one arrest for every 10 cases identified through the effort.

Cases and arrests measure different stages of enforcement. The reported totals do not mean that 1,600 people were arrested, and an arrest is not a finding of guilt. The announcement was not tied to a particular candidate, race or election.

Why experts say the conduct is rare

Experts say the results reinforce their assessment that noncitizen voting is rare. They point to the limited number of arrests produced by a government-wide effort specifically directed at finding and prosecuting the conduct.

Calling noncitizen voting rare does not mean it never happens. The 160 arrests show that federal authorities identified suspected violations serious enough to take people into custody, while the broader results remain limited to about 1,600 cases.

The figures also focus on state voter rolls. Being listed on a voter roll and casting a ballot are separate actions, so the case count should not automatically be treated as a count of illegal votes. Further legal proceedings will determine the outcomes for those arrested.