California Nurses Association, National Nurses United, the Voto Latino Foundation, Santa Clara County and the City and County of San Francisco are suing with the support of Protect Democracy and the National Immigration Law Center.

SAN FRANCISCO — Today, the California Nurses Association, National Nurses United, the County of Santa Clara, the City and County of San Francisco, and Voto Latino Foundation filed suit against the Department of Homeland Security challenging DHS’s practice of sending armed federal agents to Americans’ homes to question their eligibility to vote. Protect Democracy, the National Immigration Law Center, the San Francisco City Attorney and the Santa Clara County Counsel are co-counsel in the case.

The complaint alleges the practice violates Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits intimidating, threatening, or coercing voters or those assisting voters, or attempting to do so; violates the constitutional right to vote; intrudes upon state and local authority to administer elections; and violates the Administrative Procedure Act. 

• DHS built target lists by matching its records against public state voter files, a process the complaint alleges is highly likely to produce large numbers of false positives.
• Those lists were sent to ICE field offices, where agents were directed to conduct in-person interviews at people’s homes.
• Americans most exposed include naturalized citizens, citizens in mixed-status households, and citizens who acquired citizenship as children and may have never held documentation of it.
• The suit asks the court to declare the practice unlawful and to stop it. It does not seek damages.

Determining who is eligible to vote is the responsibility of state and local election officials, not armed federal agents. Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act protects that process wherever pressure is applied — including at a voter’s front door, weeks before an election.

Quotes from Plaintiffs and Counsel

“The right to vote is both the cornerstone and safeguard of our democracy, and it is under attack,” said Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center. “Not content with terrorizing immigrant communities, the administration is now weaponizing federal law enforcement to target voters, especially those with ties to immigrant families. Every single eligible voter should be free to cast their ballot without fear. With this lawsuit, we have sent a very clear message for voters across the country: we have your backs and will do everything in our power to protect our fundamental rights.” 

“This unlawful tactic is textbook voter intimidation weeks before an election—by a federal agency no less,” said San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu. “DHS is relying on flawed data to conduct field investigations designed to intimidate eligible voters in our diverse communities. San Francisco will stand up to protect the right to vote and oppose blatant voter suppression efforts.”