Judge rules against DHS’s policy of knocking on doors to track down possible noncitizen voters

October 21, 2026 / 11:00 PM EDT / CBS News

A federal judge ruled late Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's practice of knocking on doors and asking people about their immigration status — and whether they have voted in recent elections — likely violates the Voting Rights Act.

The ruling took aim at an operation that was documented by a CBS News investigation earlier Wednesday. Homeland Security Investigations has posted photos and videos of agents approaching homes in multiple states. The Trump administration says the practice is part of an effort to crack down on voting by noncitizens, but critics say it could intimidate legal voters.

In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin ordered federal immigration authorities to stop carrying out "elections-related field operations and field interviews" in nine states, including California and New York, if the operations are likely to involve people who government officials "know, suspect, or should reasonably know or suspect are U.S. citizens."

Her order will remain in effect until polls close on Election Day. She stayed the ruling until 5 p.m. on Friday, which will give the government a chance to seek appeal.

Martinez-Olguin sided with groups that sued over the…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/