Administration’s focus on noncitizen voting has led to 160 arrests. Experts say that shows it’s rare

The Trump administration's comprehensive initiative to identify and prosecute noncitizens who are unlawfully registered to vote has led to approximately 1,600 cases of voter fraud, resulting in 160 arrests, according to Matthew Millhollin, a senior official from Homeland Security Investigations. The announcement came just six weeks before the November midterms, providing a rare glimpse into the administration's efforts to combat voter fraud.

Experts, however, emphasize that these findings are incredibly small, representing a tiny fraction of the country's over 211 million registered voters. Former U.S. Justice Department attorney David Becker, who now leads the Center for Election Innovation and Research, states that these numbers confirm that states are effectively maintaining noncitizen voters off their voter rolls.

The administration's actions come amid claims that noncitizen voting is rampant and undermines elections, but research indicates that it is an extremely rare occurrence. Trump has signed two election-related executive orders aimed at addressing this issue, although they are currently under legal challenges. He has also pressured states to utilize a controversial federal voter database, which has been blocked by a federal judge due to privacy concerns, and has repeatedly pushed for a stalled documentary proof of citizenship bill.

However, state election officials have found that investigations into flagged noncitizen voters often result in a small number of cases being referred for further investigation.