DoJ charges 28 green card holders in California over alleged voter fraud

Key Points:

• The US Department of Justice has charged 28 green card holders in California with fraudulent voter registration and illegal voting, marking an escalation in efforts to address alleged noncitizen voting ahead of the midterm elections.
• The defendants, lawful permanent residents but not citizens, face felonies including making false statements on naturalization applications and could face up to five years in prison; 21 of them reportedly cast unlawful ballots.
• California officials, including Secretary of State Shirley Weber, have condemned the DOJ’s actions and data, arguing the allegations are vague and unsubstantiated, and warn that the crackdown could disenfranchise eligible voters.
• DOJ’s list of alleged noncitizen voters initially included over 190,000 names but was later revised to around 20,000, with officials acknowledging possible inaccuracies and seeking California’s cooperation to verify citizenship status.
• Some charged individuals claim confusion about their eligibility, with cases showing they registered unintentionally or without intent to defraud; experts caution that threats to prosecute election officials may serve as intimidation rather than sound legal strategy.