The Justice Department has charged 16 illegal immigrants with illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration, and other election-related federal crimes as the Trump administration cracks down on illegal voting ahead of the midterm elections.
The DOJ said on Monday morning that it arrested and charged more than a dozen people illegally residing in the United States who voted in federal elections, made false claims of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, or made false statements on citizenship applications.
The effort is part of the White House’s broader plan to purge illegal immigrants from state voter rolls. Illegal immigrants are allowed to vote in local elections in some cities, but not in federal elections, which include those for the House, Senate, and presidency.
Federal law enforcement arrested 10 people across Minnesota for election-related crimes, including Liberian national Bhator Konah Bryant; Lithuanian national Edvile Vaidoto Edmunds; Ghanaian national Joshua Frederick Kofi Edzie; Liberian national Alan Barbu Kargbo; German national Paul Kras; Bosnian national Fadil Rasim Ozegovic; Brazilian national Aparecido Donizetti Padovan; Liberian national Chris Adam Pettiquoi; Canadian national Christian Liam Schenk; and South African national Hester Sophia Weihmann.
Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Wisconsin charged North Macedonian national Sara Luma, 30, with unlawfully voting.
Andrea Catanese of Italy and Terrance Patrick Evans of the Bahamas were each charged with voting in the 2024 election. Catanese was additionally charged with attempting to procure naturalization unlawfully and making a false statement related to naturalization. Both individuals were arrested in Central Florida.
DOJ charged three illegal immigrants from Cuba, Mexico, and Nicaragua in the Eastern District of Louisiana with illegally voting in elections.
In September, the DOJ announced illegal voting and election-related charges against 16 illegal immigrants, primarily residing in Texas.
President Donald Trump’s focus on voting comes six years after he lost the 2020 presidential election to former President Joe Biden. Trump has alleged that the election was “stolen.” Dozens of judges nationwide have struck down lawsuits brought by Trump-aligned groups related to the matter.
In his second term, the Trump administration has touted the need to remove illegal immigrants from voter lists, stating that Democrats intend to use this population illegally to their benefit.
The Washington-based Brennan Center for Justice, a left-leaning law and policy group, suggested in a report published last year that the Trump administration intends to “undermine” forthcoming elections.
“Since day one of his second term, the Trump administration has attempted to rewrite election rules to burden voters and usurp control of election systems, targeted and threatened election officials and others who keep elections free and fair, supported people who undermine election administration, and retreated from the federal government’s role of protecting voters and the electoral process,” the Brennan Center for Justice report stated.
ICE OFFICERS SAY INTERNAL CHAOS HAS LED TO THOUSANDS OF DEPARTURES
White House border czar Tom Homan and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin have floated sending federal immigration officers to polling sites for what they say are security purposes. Democrats have criticized the potential move as a ploy to discourage people from turning out at the polls on Election Day.
Several left-leaning organizations have sued the Trump administration about potentially having U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at the sites.