On the 19th, the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched an enforcement operation in California, arresting more than 20 green card holders on allegations of illegally registering to vote and casting ballots in elections. This move marks the latest effort by the Trump administration to crack down on voting by non-citizens ahead of the November midterm elections, further escalating the ongoing dispute between the federal government and the state of California regarding voter rolls.
According to reports from the Associated Press and other outlets, the DOJ stated that the operation—dubbed “Operation Protect the Vote”—was carried out across California by the department’s four U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the state. Those arrested are all lawful permanent residents—individuals who hold green cards but are not U.S. citizens. Charges filed by prosecutors include making false statements on naturalization applications and submitting fraudulent voter registration applications; some individuals are also accused of illegal voting. The cases are currently moving through the legal system, and the allegations have yet to be adjudicated by a court.
Bill Essayli, a federal prosecutor in the Los Angeles area, stated at a press conference that election integrity is a priority for the current administration. He emphasized that the right to vote is the foundation of the American system of government, and that voting by non-citizens dilutes the weight of votes cast by citizens.
Among those arrested was a 72-year-old man, originally from the Central American nation of Belize, who is alleged to have voted illegally in four separate elections. On the morning of the 19th, dozens of federal law enforcement officers arrived at a residential area in the city of Commerce, Los Angeles County, and took the man into custody at his home. He was arrested while wearing his pajamas, handcuffed, and transported to a federal detention facility in downtown Los Angeles. Nearby residents came out to observe the scene, questioning the deployment of a large number of heavily armed officers and whether the use of handcuffs during the arrest was necessary.
This wave of arrests comes as the federal government and the state of California are currently embroiled in legal battles concerning voter rolls and mail-in ballots. Last week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against California, seeking to prevent the state from counting mail-in ballots cast by individuals whom the federal government has identified as “potential non-citizens” until their immigration status can be verified. Prior to the lawsuit, the federal government had demanded that California officials review—within 48 hours—a password-protected USB drive containing a list of approximately 20,000 individuals. The federal government alleges that these individuals may not be U.S. citizens, yet they received ballots for the November 3 election.
However, California’s Secretary of State stated that the federal government failed to provide sufficient evidence to support these claims. California currently mails ballots to all registered voters. It is important to note that being on the voter rolls, receiving a mail-in ballot, and actually casting a vote are distinct matters; therefore, the 20,000 individuals identified by the federal government as “potential non-citizens” cannot be equated with people who have already voted illegally.
Separately, on the 16th, the DOJ sent a letter warning state and local election officials that processing or counting ballots—with the knowledge that they were cast by non-citizens—could lead to federal investigations and criminal prosecution. The letter noted that facilitating a federal crime, or failing to act when aware of one, could carry serious legal consequences. Specifically, if an individual knowingly includes in the vote count a ballot cast by someone identified by federal authorities as a non-citizen, that person could be considered to have aided or abetted a federal crime.
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