ICE  probed hundreds of voter registration groups across the U.S.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the past year investigated hundreds of nonprofits across the U.S. that help people register to vote, according to new records analyzed by Democracy Docket.

The internal government documents, which were obtained by the legal nonprofit Democracy Forward*, showed that Homeland Security Investigations, ICE’s investigative arm, also contemplated sending undercover agents to investigate the organizations.

The investigations into the organizations were part of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) extensive, resource-intensive search for illegal voting by noncitizens.

For years, President Donald Trump has used claims of noncitizens voting to call into question election results and push for stricter voting laws. In reality, noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare, and there is no credible evidence that it has swayed an election.

As part of its attempt to influence election procedures and restrict who can vote, the Trump administration has increasingly scrutinized nonprofits that conduct voter registration activities.

“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,” one of the documents reads.

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

Democracy Forward obtained a series of reports HSI made for other parts of DHS. 

According to the documents, HSI in particular focused on groups in the battleground states of Ohio and Pennsylvania, though it targeted nonprofits in New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and Minnesota as well.

The records do not indicate HSI went through with any undercover operations.

However, the agency investigated the groups through other means. It first identified the organizations using nonprofit search engines and then sought to find “derogatory information” on the groups through other databases.

HSI reviewed at least 82 nonprofits in Pennsylvania, including that state’s branch of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S.

In the Keystone State, the agency also looked into the clothing brand Zumiez, which in the past has partnered with organizations like Voto Latino and Rock the Vote to encourage voter registration and civic engagement among youth during festivals, skateboarding events and community gatherings.

Specifically, the agency flagged both CAIR and Zumiez for “further investigation.”

It’s unclear why Zumiez was flagged in Pennsylvania. The company does have locations across the state, but the company’s corporate headquarters are located in Lynnwood, Washington.

In Ohio, HSI partnered with the FBI to look into Black Fork Strategies, a progressive firm founded by Kirk Noden that focuses on voter engagement. Noden also founded the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a voter registration organization that the FBI raided in a sweeping operation in June.

“HSI Cleveland and FBI have identified seven companies that serve as consolidation centers associated with [Black Fork Strategies] for data obtained by canvassers throughout Ohio,” one of the documents reads. “HSI and FBI are solidifying investigative plans related to these companies.”

HSI included at least 41 organizations in New Jersey in its search, though “no derogatory information was found on any of the [nongovernmental organizations].”

The documents noted that HSI wasn’t just looking into nonprofits. Along with amassing tens of  millions of voter records from unclear sources, the agency also heavily monitored state primary elections earlier this year. It claimed this effort was meant to “determine if any notable trends or vulnerabilities in upholding election integrity.”

Along with investigating nonprofits that help people register to vote, the Trump administration has tried to block all federal funding for such activities. It also attempted to bar registration groups’ presence at naturalization events, though a federal judge blocked that effort while finding it was likely driven by intentional discrimination against new citizens.

*Democracy Docket Founder Marc Elias is the chair of Democracy Forward’s board.