Feds arrest alleged noncitizen voters in California amid broader election fight with state
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Set us as preferred Federal authorities have charged 28 people from across California with illegally registering to vote or casting ballots in federal elections despite not being U.S.citizens — escalating an election battle between the state and the Trump administration just weeks before the Nov.
3 midterms.Authorities said 11 of the 28 were arrested as of Monday and that the 17 others “will be in custody in the near future.” Some of the 28, all of whom are lawful permanent residents of the U.S., are also charged with lying on their naturalization paperwork, officials said.Acting Deputy Atty.Gen.
Trent McCotter cast the arrests during a Monday news conference as proof that California voter rolls are corrupted and need to be purged to prevent noncitizens from negating the legitimate votes of U.S.citizens, and that California officials who have rebuffed recent Trump administration efforts to purge the state’s rolls are willfully obstructing justice.“This Department of Justice will not look the other way while non-citizens vote in federal elections,” McCotter said.
“Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for California and L.A.County.”Federal authorities said 21 of the 28 individuals charged are suspected of actually voting, some in multiple elections.State and county officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the prosecutions, which federal authorities dubbed “Operation Protect the Vote.” Politics In the last week, Justice Department and California election officials have been locked in a contentious standoff over alleged election fraud.However, California officials have consistently said that the state has robust laws for preventing ineligible voters from casting ballots, and that there is no evidence that such voting is widespread.
They and independent elections experts acknowledg...