ICE investigates mall staple favored by teen skaters in its hunt for noncitizen voters
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A popular skate and streetwear store found in shopping malls across the country was apparently investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) because it supported voter outreach efforts.
Zumiez was among hundreds of groups, most of them nonprofit organizations, probed by ICE this past year as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing hunt for noncitizen voters, according to internal government documents obtained by Democracy Forward*.
The Trump administration has been actively seeking data to back up President Donald Trump’s unfounded allegations that noncitizen voting is rampant in the U.S. Its investigations have found very few instances of illegal voting and nothing at a scale that could tip a race.
Homeland Security Investigations flagged Zumiez “for further investigation” in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state that’s home to several races this midterm cycle that could determine control of Congress.
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Zumiez is headquartered in Washington state, and it’s unclear why ICE would investigate the brand in Pennsylvania. The brand has 20 stores in the Keystone State.
Zumiez didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The skate brand has partnerships with organizations like Voto Latino and Skate to the Polls to boost voter registration and turnout.
According to OpenSecrets, an independent research group that tracks campaign finance data, Zumiez contributed nearly $2 million to Democratic committees and groups during the 2024 election cycle and nothing to Republicans.
*Democracy Docket Founder Marc Elias is the chair of Democracy Forward’s board.