Estelle, a 57-year-old French permanent resident, faced detention at Detroit Metro Airport for 30 hours in mid-March after admitting she voted in a local Kansas election. Customs officers forced her to spend a night in a holding cell and threatened her with deportation. Lawrence, Kansas, where she lives, does not allow non-citizens to vote, and both state and federal laws require U.S. citizenship for voter registration.
Immigration and election experts say Estelle's case signals an escalation in efforts to prosecute non-citizen voting, even though evidence shows it is rare. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) typically does not investigate election fraud. However, a transcript of Estelle's interview, provided by her attorney, shows the agency specifically flagged her and knew her voting history.
Estelle told officers she believed she could vote in local elections. A state motor vehicles department employee had informed her she was eligible when she renewed her driver's license. Kerry Doyle, a former deputy general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security in the Biden administration, stated she had never heard of anyone detained at a port of entry for suspected illegal voting.
A CBP spokesperson confirmed the detention of a woman matching Estelle's description at the Detroit airport and placing her in removal proceedings. The official did not specify whether the agency now routinely questions non-citizen travelers about voting. They did emphasize that illegal voting is a deportable offense. "The Trump Administration will continue to enforce our nation's laws," the spokesperson wrote, adding that violators "will be processed, detained, and removed as required."
Matthew Hoppock, Estelle's attorney, said she had no prior criminal history and had not otherwise violated her green card terms. He said she registered to vote while renewing her driver's license in 2023. Douglas County records show Estelle voted in a November 2023 election that included city council and school board races. She did not cast a ballot in any subsequent election, including the 2024 presidential election.
An immigration judge granted Estelle's request to cancel her removal proceedings after Hoppock spoke with DHS officials. It remains unclear if she will face future criminal charges. Hoppock called CBP's aggressive handling of the matter "really something," stating, "It's clear as day she wasn't trying to break the law."
Wendy Weiser, vice president for democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice, noted that while Trump has repeatedly claimed millions of non-citizens vote, data indicates few such cases exist. Most involve individuals like Estelle, who register in error. Weiser expressed concern about "publicizing of these kinds of incidents as a tool to frighten people."
Local and state election officials typically identify these rare cases and refer them to law enforcement. Many do not proceed because the voter was often mistakenly registered by a clerk or voted unknowingly. Prosecutors may need to prove intent, depending on the charges.
Trump has publicly pushed for the federal government to increase efforts to prevent and punish election fraud. In March 2025, he issued an executive order directing federal agencies to use resources to find and prosecute non-citizen voters. His Justice Department has demanded state voter-roll information, and DHS revamped a tool for states to check citizenship status en masse. The tool proved highly error-prone.
Despite its flaws, DHS appears to be using the tool to pursue non-citizen voting prosecutions. A recent DHS statement indicated Homeland Security Investigations will examine over 24,000 voters flagged by the SAVE system as potential non-citizens. A former CBP official, speaking anonymously, suggested potential non-citizen voters are likely flagged in the system used by customs officers.