diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/triple-slash-reference.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/triple-slash-reference.ts
index c5ab5772523..8ce64e5748a 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/triple-slash-reference.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/triple-slash-reference.ts
@@ -73,8 +73,7 @@ export default util.createRule<Options, MessageIds>({
     return {
       ImportDeclaration(node): void {
         if (programNode) {
-          const source = node.source as TSESTree.Literal;
-          hasMatchingReference(source);
+          hasMatchingReference(node.source);
         }
       },
       TSImportEqualsDeclaration(node): void {
diff --git a/packages/typescript-estree/src/ts-estree/ts-estree.ts b/packages/typescript-estree/src/ts-estree/ts-estree.ts
index 51529a470cb..296e62b0bfb 100644
--- a/packages/typescript-estree/src/ts-estree/ts-estree.ts
+++ b/packages/typescript-estree/src/ts-estree/ts-estree.ts
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ export interface Import extends BaseNode {
 
 export interface ImportDeclaration extends BaseNode {
   type: AST_NODE_TYPES.ImportDeclaration;
-  source: Expression;
+  source: Literal;
   specifiers: ImportClause[];
 }