Justice Department charges 28 noncitizens in California voting cases
Federal prosecutors have charged 28 green card holders in California, accusing them of voting or signing up to vote though they are not citizens. Eleven are in custody, the Justice Department said. The Guardian and the New York Post said the case comes as the department fights the state over a list of voters it says may not be citizens.
The Justice Department has charged 28 lawful permanent residents in California with crimes tied to registering to vote and voting, and 11 of them were arrested Monday, the department said. The other 17 are expected to be taken into custody soon, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The charges include making false statements on a naturalization application, and some defendants are also charged with fraudulent voter registration, according to the department. Both are felonies with a maximum of five years in federal prison. A department spokesperson said 21 of the 28 had cast ballots, the Guardian reported. The effort is called Operation Protect the Vote, and it involves all four federal prosecutors' offices in California.
In Commerce, near Los Angeles, Homeland Security agents arrested a 72-year-old man from Belize around 6 am, the New York Post reported. Prosecutors say he registered in 2019 claiming to be a citizen and then voted in 2020, 2022 and 2024. Court papers suggest some defendants were confused about whether they could vote, the Guardian reported. One man said canvassers helped him register outside a supermarket.
The charges come days after the department sued California to stop it from counting certain mail ballots. On October 13 the department gave the state a list of more than 20,000 people it believes are likely noncitizens. Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said some names on the list may turn out to be citizens, the Guardian reported. First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said state officials were "lying" about their citizenship checks, the New York Post reported.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has called the federal demands "outrageous," the Guardian reported. Governor Gavin Newsom called the effort an attempt "to suppress California voters," the New York Post reported. Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn called the arrests "voter intimidation," the Guardian reported. California has about 23.1 million registered voters, the Guardian reported.
What we know: Federal prosecutors charged 28 green card holders in California, and 11 were arrested Monday.
What we don't: How the defendants were registered and how the court will rule on the ballot lawsuit.
Where outlets agree The Guardian, the New York Post and the Los Angeles Times report that 28 noncitizens in California were charged and that 11 were arrested Monday.
Where they differ The cited reports agree on the key facts so far.