ICE investigated non-profits over alleged ‘illegal alien voter registration’

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated non-profit groups involved in voter registration and considered using undercover agents to target some organisations, internal documents show.

The records, obtained by legal non-profit Democracy Forward, show investigations were carried out by Homeland Security Investigations, an investigative arm of ICE.

One document said: “Future [undercover]-related operations may involve utilizing [undercover agents] to target identified organizations and engage in communications with these entities to substantiate recruitment methods and activities related to illegal alien voter registration”.

The document said the covert operations “will support broader investigative and enforcement actions, leveraging [undercover] findings to initiate prosecutions and dismantle illicit facilitation networks.”

Dozens of non-profit organisations across the US were investigated, according to the documents. Some work with larger organisations such as Voto Latino, which focuses on registering Hispanic and Latino citizens and encouraging them to vote.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that voter fraud and voting by non-citizens are widespread problems.

However, election experts and studies have consistently found that cases of non-citizens illegally casting ballots in US elections are extremely rare.