Assistant Attorney General Dhillon Defends Investigation of Noncitizen Voters

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon defended the Trump administration’s investigation into noncitizen voters during a segment on CBS’ ’60 Minutes.’ The conversation focused on the administration’s efforts to address potential election fraud ahead of the midterm elections.

During the program, Lesley Stahl, the host, questioned the necessity of the investigation given the low numbers of noncitizens voting. She suggested that the purpose might be to cause distrust in the election system. Dhillon responded, explaining that the real intention is to address existing distrust. She emphasized that many cases of noncitizen voting were under investigation.

Dhillon pointed out that even under the Biden administration, prosecutions for noncitizen voting had occurred. She stressed that these efforts were underway for the first time at a meaningful scale. Dhillon argued that while the numbers of prosecuted voters might seem small, substantial investigations and prosecutions were ongoing.

She also discussed recent developments in New Jersey, where noncitizens were found on voter rolls. Dhillon assured viewers that the Trump administration was committed to reviewing credible evidence and prosecuting every provable case.

In response to questions about involving ICE agents at polling places, Dhillon clarified that there were no such plans. She dismissed fears about potential challenges to election outcomes as paranoia.

Dhillon acknowledged that unexplained issues could affect election processes but maintained confidence that votes would be counted and certified as usual.

“Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen,” a DOJ spokesperson said in a statement. They highlighted efforts to prosecute election fraud cases weekly, underscoring their commitment to protecting electoral integrity.

In a post-show response, Dhillon commented on social media about her experience on ’60 Minutes,’ noting the editing of her responses. CBS did not immediately comment on this exchange.