Trump Administration Charges 28 California Green-Card Holders With Voter Fraud, Arrests 11

Arrests and Charges

Federal prosecutors charged 28 California green-card holders with allegedly registering to vote and, in many cases, voting in U.S. elections even though they are not citizens, and they arrested 11 of them Monday.

11 arrested5 of 9 outlets reported it · not in CalMatters and 3 more▾

Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said, "California refused to look at that list. Today’s charges show exactly what that refusal puts at risk," as the Justice Department pursued cases involving alleged illegal voting.

Federal prosecutors said the operation involved the four U.S. attorneys’ offices across California, and they said the defendants falsely claimed to be citizens when they registered to vote and then allegedly lied again when they applied to become citizens.

The Justice Department also sued California to prevent it from counting mail ballots from people the federal government has identified as “likely” noncitizens until their immigration status can be confirmed, and it said the list was given to state election officials as a thumb drive to review within a 48-hour window last week.

Each charge carries up to five years in federal prison, while the charge for voting in a federal election while not a citizen carries up to one year.

Reporting for this sectionNewsNation

State and Court Fight

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber called the demand to set aside ballots already mailed out unprecedented and said the deadline was impossible to meet, and she wrote in a letter that it was "an emergency of the DOJ’s creation." California Attorney General Rob Bonta said, "Twenty-eight out of 23 million registered voters in California is just … a drop in the bucket numerically," as he argued the charges were hardly proof of widespread voter fraud. Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter told reporters, "It’s about preventing voter fraud that cancels out the votes of U.S. citizens," and he said federal prosecutors filed a motion urging the judge in Los Angeles to order state officials to segregate the ballots.

Bonta on fraud3 of 9 outlets reported it · not in Clarin and 5 more▾

McCotter also said, "California must verify the citizenship of those more than 20,000 registrants before mail-in ballots are counted," as the DOJ framed the arrests as part of its effort to protect electoral integrity. Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said, "This Department of Justice will not look the other way while non-citizens vote in federal elections," as the crackdown proceeded under "Operation Protect the Vote."

Operation Protect the Vote5 of 11 outlets reported it · not in CalMatters and 5 more▾

Reporting for this sectionNewsNationCalMatters

Reactions and Stakes

Some green card holders arrested in the crackdown said they had no recollection of ever registering to cast ballots, including Ana Domínguez, 60, who said she did not have any memory of registering to vote.

UCLA School of Law director Rick Hasen wrote, "There is only a crime if the government can prove willful violations of federal law," as he argued that many instances of noncitizens registering to vote are administrative error or confusion.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta told Jacob Soboroff the federal government is "trying to bully and frighten and intimidate" public servants, after the Justice Department warned Los Angeles County officials they could face prosecution.

The DOJ sent California its list of 20,000 names on a thumb drive to election officials in Los Angeles County last week with a 48-hour deadline to review and separate questioned ballots or face legal action.

The announcement came 15 days before the Nov. 3 election, with Californians deciding on a new governor, 14 statewide ballot measures, and several competitive races that will be key to which party controls Congress.

Reporting for this sectionLos Angeles TimesMS NOW