DHS Subpoenas All 254 Texas Counties for Voter Records

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has begun issuing administrative subpoenas to all 254 Texas counties to obtain detailed voter registration applications, signatures, and voter history. This initiative is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to verify the citizenship of registered voters, following a December agreement to share state voter roll data between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice.

Initial subpoenas reached officials in Lubbock, Brazos, and Montgomery counties. The scope of these requests varied by location; Lubbock County was informed that its subpoena would target 10 to 30 specific voters, while officials in Brazos and Montgomery counties reported receiving open-ended requests that did not specify individual voters.

The effort coincides with a wider federal push, as the Department of Justice has sued 30 states and the District of Columbia for refusing to provide unredacted voter data. In response to these federal demands, the Texas Association of County Election Officials has advised local administrators to consult legal counsel before responding to ensure that the process remains within its proper constitutional bounds.