The US Department of Homeland Security will withhold more than $1bn in preparedness grants from states that refuse to adopt new election security measures, including voter citizenship verification, manual post-election audits and a transition away from electronic voting systems that use QR codes. The move is part of a wider administration campaign, led by Vice President JD Vance, targeting alleged fraud in social benefit programmes and the H-1B skilled-worker visa system.

From Washington, the White House argues that these measures protect election integrity, safeguard taxpayer funds and ensure American jobs go to American workers. DHS officials say the grant conditions will create a paper trail to detect manipulation and verify voter eligibility using the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database. The Department of Labour has issued dozens of subpoenas investigating H-1B visa misuse, and the Federal Trade Commission chairman has accused Democratic governors of shielding fraudsters by withholding data on recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Democratic-led states and civil liberties groups counter that the federal government lacks authority to demand sensitive voter data and that the fraud allegations are unsubstantiated. A federal judge in Pittsburgh recently blocked a Justice Department demand for state voter records containing Social Security numbers, ruling it exceeded federal authority. The mayor of Milwaukee, a Democrat, has denied any election fraud, while some state officials describe the data requests as a concerning expansion of federal power. In Wisconsin, Vice President Vance likened such denials to a child protesting too much about stolen cookies, suggesting they indicate guilt.

The H-1B visa crackdown includes a new $100,000 fee for initial applications, though a federal court has struck down the measure as an unauthorised tax. Indian nationals, who receive the largest share of H-1B visas, are likely to be most affected. Viewed from New Delhi, the tightening of the programme raises concerns for the technology and engineering sectors that rely on access to the US market. Microsoft, a major H-1B sponsor, recently laid off 1,600 employees in its Xbox division while holding approvals for thousands of foreign worker visas, prompting accusations from some lawmakers that companies are replacing American staff with cheaper foreign labour.

The administration’s anti-fraud task force continues to press states for benefit recipient data, with Vice President Vance singling out Wisconsin for non-cooperation. The DHS grant conditions are expected to face legal challenges similar to those that halted the earlier voter-data demand. Meanwhile, the Department of Labour’s H-1B investigations are ongoing, and the White House has signalled it will pursue legislative avenues, including the SAVE America Act, to mandate voter identification requirements.