US Charges 28 Noncitizens In Voting Case, 11 Arrested In California
WASHINGTON: Federal prosecutors in California have announced criminal charges against 28 lawful permanent residents accused of illegally registering to vote in US elections, with 11 arrested in a coordinated statewide operation that has intensified a dispute between the Trump administration and California officials over voter eligibility.
The US Justice Department said the defendants, all foreign nationals holding green cards, face charges including fraudulent voter registration and making false statements in applications for US citizenship.
The arrests were carried out under an operation called “Operation Protect the Vote”, involving all four federal prosecutors’ offices in California.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the defendants allegedly declared themselves US citizens on voter registration forms despite not holding American citizenship.
Prosecutors said several of the defendants subsequently cast ballots in US elections and later denied having registered or voted when applying for naturalisation.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
Lawful permanent residents are authorised to live and work in the United States but are generally prohibited from voting in federal elections. Unlawful voting and false declarations of citizenship can carry significant criminal and immigration consequences.
Federal prosecutors said the charges include making false statements in naturalisation applications and fraudulent voter registration, with each offence carrying a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
The 11 people arrested on Monday were expected to make their initial appearances in federal court later in the day. Prosecutors said pleas would not be taken during those proceedings.
The arrests came amid a separate dispute between the federal government and California over voter registration records ahead of the November elections.
Federal authorities provided California officials with a list of individuals on October 13 and requested that their mail-in ballots be set aside pending verification of citizenship.
The Justice Department said California declined to take the requested action, prompting the federal government to file a lawsuit seeking judicial intervention.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said the 28 defendants were among more than 20,000 people whom federal authorities had identified as likely noncitizens on California’s voter registration rolls.
“Each of the 28 defendants charged today appears on the list of more than 20,000 likely noncitizen registrants we provided to California election officials last week,” McCotter said.
He urged California officials to verify the citizenship status of those identified before mail-in ballots were counted.
The figure of more than 20,000 reflects the federal government’s assessment of potentially ineligible registrants and does not establish that all those individuals registered or voted illegally.
First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli accused California officials of failing to comply with federal election requirements.
“California is mailing ballots to noncitizens, and they are refusing to comply with federal law, which makes it a crime for noncitizens to vote,” Essayli said.
The case highlights the continuing dispute over election administration, voter eligibility and the respective roles of federal and state authorities in enforcing election laws. (Source: IANS)
