The Justice Department announced Monday that federal authorities in California arrested 11 noncitizens and charged 28 individuals with voter fraud, alleging they illegally registered to vote and cast ballots in U.S. elections. The charges are part of a broader crackdown on noncitizen voting under the Trump administration.
According to the DOJ's press release, the 28 defendants hold green cards and "knowingly and willfully lied under oath" on voter registration forms, falsely claiming U.S. citizenship. The majority of the accused allegedly voted using "illegal and fraudulently obtained ballots."
Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter emphasized the stakes, saying, "Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen." He also noted that all 28 defendants appear on a list of more than 20,000 likely noncitizen registrants that the DOJ provided to California election officials last week.
The arrests come amid intense tensions between the Trump administration and California over voter roll maintenance. Last Thursday, the DOJ sued California after handing state officials a USB drive containing the names of 20,000 individuals flagged as potential noncitizens, urging them to cross-check the list against Department of Homeland Security data within two days.
In a letter sent to California and local election officials last Tuesday, the DOJ warned of legal action if the data comparison was not completed. The letter, which included a handwritten password for the files on the drive, underscored the administration's aggressive approach. President Trump has also threatened jail time for state officials who resist the federal demands.
The charges are the latest salvo in the Trump administration's hardline immigration enforcement, which has drawn criticism over incidents involving civilian casualties. Federal immigration authorities have been involved in multiple operations that resulted in injuries or deaths since Trump returned to the White House.
Legal experts note that noncitizen voting is already illegal under federal law, and cases are relatively rare. However, the DOJ's move signals an intensified focus on election integrity, a key issue for the administration and its supporters.
California officials have pushed back against the federal demands, arguing that the data may contain errors and that the state has its own safeguards to prevent noncitizen voting. The lawsuit and the new charges are likely to escalate the legal and political battle between Washington and Sacramento.
As the midterm elections approach, the issue of voter fraud remains a flashpoint. Critics of the administration's actions argue they are designed to sow doubt about election integrity, while supporters contend they are necessary to protect the franchise. The DOJ's charges against the 28 individuals are now set to proceed through the federal courts.
