DOJ Confirms It Is Sharing State Voter Data With DHS in Search for Noncitizen Voters

Category: Arizona | Policy

Why It Matters

The federal government’s decision to share state voter data with immigration enforcement agencies carries significant implications for voters across the country — including in Arizona, one of 29 states that has refused to comply with the Justice Department’s demands and is now facing a federal lawsuit. The confirmation raises questions about how sensitive personal information, including partial Social Security numbers and driver’s license data, may be used in immigration and criminal investigations.

For Arizona residents, the stakes are particularly high. The state has a large Latino population and has historically been a focal point of debates over voter eligibility and election integrity. Any federal action involving Arizona voter rolls is likely to draw intense scrutiny from both voting rights advocates and election security proponents.

What Happened

The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed in federal court on Thursday, March 27, 2026, that it is actively sharing sensitive state voter data with the Department of Homeland Security as part of a broader effort to identify noncitizen voters on American voter rolls.

The acknowledgment came during a hearing in the DOJ’s lawsuit against Rhode Island, where DOJ attorney Eric Neff told U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy that sharing voter data with Homeland Security was not only planned but already underway. When Judge McElroy asked whether the Justice Department could send voter lists to DHS with instructions to search for noncitizens, Neff responded, “Yes, and we intend to do so.” He added that the two agencies already have a formal “use agreement” in place governing such data sharing.

Despite confirming the data transfer, the DOJ attorney denied the department is constructing a national voter database. The distinction, however, has done little to ease concerns among states and civil liberties organizations that have challenged the administration’s data collection efforts in court.

CBS News separately reported Thursday that the DOJ and DHS are nearing a finalized agreement that would allow voter data to be used in both immigration and criminal investigations — expanding the potential scope of how the information could be applied.

By the Numbers

• 29 states plus the District of Columbia have refused to turn over voter data to the DOJ and are currently facing federal lawsuits, including Arizona.
• At least 12 other states have complied and provided their voter lists to federal authorities.
• 3 federal judges have ruled against the Justice Department’s demands for state voter data so far, with no judge yet siding with the department.
• 0 successful DOJ court victories on voter data demands at the district court level as of late March 2026.
• Oral arguments on the DOJ’s appeals are scheduled for later this spring, following the administration’s push for expedited decisions ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Zoom Out

The DOJ’s voter data campaign is part of a broader Trump administration effort to assert federal authority over state-managed election systems. The administration has argued that states are required under federal voting rights laws — specifically provisions mandating regular updates and cleaning of voter rolls — to provide the requested data to federal authorities.

Noncitizen voting in U.S. elections is widely documented as extremely rare. Federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, and states have independent verification systems in place. Critics argue the data-sharing arrangement with DHS effectively converts voter registration records into immigration enforcement tools, a use for which the data was not originally intended.

Similar legal battles are playing out in states including Kentucky, Rhode Island, and others that have resisted federal demands. The pattern of judicial pushback — with three consecutive district court rulings against the DOJ — suggests the administration faces significant legal headwinds as the cases move to the appellate level.

What’s Next

The Justice Department has appealed all three adverse district court rulings and has requested expedited consideration from appellate courts, citing the approaching 2026 midterm election cycle as a basis for urgency. Oral arguments are expected to be scheduled in the coming weeks.

Arizona and the other 28 states named in federal lawsuits will continue to contest the DOJ’s data demands in court. Voting rights organizations are also expected to file additional challenges now that the data-sharing arrangement with DHS has been confirmed on the record for the first time. How appellate courts rule on the DOJ’s appeals will likely determine whether federal access to state voter rolls becomes a precedent-setting policy or is curtailed by the judiciary before the November elections.