Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon on Noncitizen Voting Investigation

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon defended the Trump administration’s investigation into noncitizen voters during the CBS program “60 Minutes.” Dhillon’s remarks focused on addressing concerns about electoral integrity ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

Claims of Sowing Distrust

Lesley Stahl, the host of “60 Minutes,” questioned Dhillon regarding allegations that the investigation aimed to sow distrust in the electoral system. Stahl argued that few noncitizens tend to vote and questioned the necessity of the investigation. In response, Dhillon emphasized that the intention was contrary to what was perceived. She highlighted the existence of distrust and pointed out the current administration’s active prosecution of such cases.

“The point is actually the opposite of what you were saying. It’s not to sow distrust. The distrust is there. And so, all of these kinds of crimes are being prosecuted now for the first time really, in volume,” Dhillon stated.

Despite Stahl’s interruption, labeling the numbers as “tiny,” Dhillon explained that since taking office, the investigations have been ongoing, underlining the existence of thousands of potential cases under review.

Obama Administration Policy Shift

Dhillon defended enhanced scrutiny of voter rolls, following revelations from Democratic Governor Mike Sherrill of New Jersey about thousands of noncitizens registered through the motor-voter system. She assured that the Trump administration plans to examine each provable case. Dhillon described this approach as a “broken windows” enforcement strategy, marking a departure from previous administrations’ practices.

Dhillon emphasized that the administration investigates credible leads, rejecting the idea that only widespread fraud or significant misconduct should prompt federal action.

Concerns of Election Interference

Stahl questioned the possibility of deploying ICE agents to polling places, to which Dhillon clarified there were “no plans” for such actions. Furthermore, Dhillon dismissed fears that President Trump could contest midterm results as “paranoia.” She explained that irregularities like noncitizen voting might challenge an individual’s vote but not the entire election’s validity.

DOJ’s Commitment to Integrity

Dhillon’s affirmation came alongside a statement from the DOJ highlighting the importance of protecting lawful votes. The spokesperson stressed that illegal voting undermines lawful citizens’ ballots and that any federal race shares the ballot with state and local contests, potentially decided by narrow margins.

Emphasizing the Department’s commitment, the spokesperson said it prosecutes election fraud cases every week to uphold electoral integrity.

“Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen,” the DOJ statement said.

Reactions and Criticisms

Following the broadcast, Dhillon shared her dissatisfaction with the segment’s editing, posting on social media that a significant portion of her responses was omitted.

CBS has not yet returned Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.

Lindsay Kornick, associate editor for Fox News Digital, contributed to this coverage. Her story tips can be sent to her email [email protected] or via Twitter @lmkornick.