The Justice Department has stepped up prosecutions over alleged noncitizen voting, averaging more than one case per day and adding a dozen recent charges to earlier actions reported in September. A Minnesota grand jury indicted 10 foreign nationals on a variety of voting-related allegations, and a lawful permanent resident in Florida was charged with illegally voting in 2024. DHS says it has 1,620 cases under review after obtaining voter rolls from at least 47 states, though investigations do not prove guilt. Supporters call the effort essential for election integrity; critics warn the problem is rare and prone to errors.
DOJ Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Noncitizen Voting Ahead of Midterms
(Dreamstime)
The Justice Department has ramped up prosecutions targeting alleged noncitizen voting, averaging more than one case per day, according to reporting by The Washington Times. Federal prosecutors announced 11 charges on Wednesday and another on Thursday, adding to nearly 50 cases disclosed by the DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security in September.
Recent Charges and Indictments
In one recent development, a federal grand jury in Minnesota indicted 10 foreign nationals. Seven are accused of illegally voting in the 2024 general election, one is alleged to have voted in 2022, another is charged with voting in the August 2026 primary, and one defendant is accused of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in 2024. Separate filings also allege that one defendant voted in Minnesota's August 2026 primary.
Federal prosecutors also charged Terrance Patrick Evans, a 37-year-old Bahamian national and lawful permanent resident, alleging he knowingly voted in Citrus County, Florida, in the 2024 federal election despite not being a U.S. citizen.
"The law is clear, only American citizens may vote in American elections, and enforcing this law is fundamental to our democracy," Attorney General Todd Blanche said.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin echoed that message, warning noncitizens that illegal voting can lead to criminal charges and potential deportation.
Broader Federal Review
The prosecutions are part of a wider federal effort. Reuters reports that DHS has obtained voter registration lists from at least 47 states and deployed hundreds of officers to compare those rolls with immigration, State Department and Social Security records. Secretary Mullin said DHS has 1,620 cases under investigation, noting that an investigation alone does not prove illegal registration or voting.
According to Reuters’ July review, 129 people had been charged under the federal "Voting by Aliens" statute since it was enacted in 1996, with at least 20 additional cases brought by the current administration in the months that followed. The review also found that states may have mistakenly recorded more than 30,000 noncitizens on voter rolls since 2000 because of software or clerical errors, though it is unclear how many of those registrants actually voted.
Legal Penalties And Political Debate
Under federal law, voting by a noncitizen can carry up to one year in prison; falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to register or vote can carry a maximum five-year sentence. Supporters of the enforcement campaign say the work is necessary to protect election integrity. Critics contend that noncitizen voting is rare and unlikely to affect most election outcomes, and they caution about the risk of errors and improper removals from voter rolls.
What To Watch: As the midterms approach, observers will be watching how many investigations result in indictments and convictions, and whether the federal review prompts states to change voter-registration procedures or data-sharing practices.
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