Federal prosecutors accuse noncitizens of voting and lying about citizenship, while courts weigh a separate fight over California ballots.
Tamrah News Desk | November 3, 2026
DOJ charges 63 people across 15 states with illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration and other election related crimes, federal officials announced on Monday, one day before the midterm elections. According to the US Department of Justice, the cases involve voting by noncitizens in federal elections, false claims of US citizenship and a registration filed in another state.
What the Department of Justice Announced
Attorney General Todd Blanche called the action the largest surge of voter fraud arrests since President Donald Trump returned to office.
“These foreign nationals allegedly took advantage of the trust of the American people”
Blanche said in the release. The department said it has charged 195 noncitizens across 25 states over the past nine weeks, and 239 people with voter fraud offenses since the administration began.
The release describes four defendants as being in the country illegally and identifies most of the others as lawful permanent residents accused of noncitizen voting.
How Many People Has the DOJ Charged With Voter Fraud?
The figure of 239 covers the whole administration, not only Monday’s cases. The Department of Justice also announced charges over illegal voting and fraudulent voter registration against 48 noncitizens in five states on October 26, and against 28 foreign nationals in California on October 19, according to its press releases.
DOJ Charges 63 People: Where the Cases Were Filed
The release lists election related crimes in Arkansas, California, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. WPDE reported that 18 defendants face charges in North Carolina alone. One of them, a Kenyan national and lawful permanent resident, is accused of falsely claiming citizenship and voting in nine general elections since 2008, according to the department.
Fox 5 Atlanta reported that Benito Covarrubias Iniguez, 64, a Mexican national, faces a charge in Georgia of falsely claiming citizenship to vote in a federal election. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that a Samoan national, one of the lawful permanent residents charged, is accused of illegal voting in Utah in 2024. In California, the department charged six people with illegal voting and six others with lying on naturalization applications. A New Mexico case involves a Maryland resident accused of fraudulent voter registration after allegedly claiming to live in New Mexico.
Penalties and Presumption of Innocence
WPDE reported that voting by an alien carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. The department stressed that a complaint, indictment or information contains only accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
California Ballot Fight Over Noncitizen Voting
Separately, the Department of Justice sued California on October 15, alleging the state hinders enforcement of the federal ban on noncitizen voting, Fox News reported. The department wants about 20,000 ballots set aside because it says the voters are likely noncitizens, according to Reuters reporting carried by the Hawaii Tribune Herald.
District Judge David Carter denied the request on October 28 and warned it could “wreak havoc” on the elections, The National Desk reported. The Associated Press reported that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the department’s emergency request on October 30, finding no workable way to separate specific ballots without serious harm to the system. California officials say their safeguards are strong and the federal list may contain errors, according to Fox News. Fox News also reported that Justice Elena Kagan denied the administration’s appeal.
What Data Shows About Noncitizen Voting
That Reuters report noted that the department has repeatedly claimed noncitizen voting is widespread, despite multiple studies showing it is rare. The Associated Press reported that available data indicates it is exceedingly rare. In a statement, the department said federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting, AP reported.
Midterm Election Backdrop
Todd Blanche said the department will keep prosecuting voter fraud to restore confidence in the electoral system, while its latest cases cover illegal voting and fraudulent voter registration. The announcement came as campaigns made final appeals before the midterm elections, including in Michigan, where Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers less than two days before the vote, as Tamrah News reported. Mail voting has also drawn attention, including Pope Leo’s mail ballot in Illinois. More coverage is available in the Tamrah News politics section.
Conclusion
The announcement adds to a growing federal effort on voter fraud and illegal voting, with prosecutors focusing on lawful permanent residents accused of noncitizen voting and fraudulent voter registration. Courts have so far declined the department’s separate request on California ballots, and the charged defendants remain presumed innocent. Tamrah News will keep tracking the key search topics: DOJ charges 63 people, DOJ voter fraud charges, noncitizen voting charges, election related crimes, Todd Blanche voter fraud, midterm elections voter fraud and lawful permanent residents voting charges.
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