Federal prosecutors say 28 noncitizens in California lied to register and, in many cases, voted anyway.
Story Snapshot
- Justice Department charged 28 lawful permanent residents with election crimes.
- Allegations include false citizenship claims and fraudulent voter registration.
- Officials say many of the 28 went on to cast ballots in multiple elections.
- Some local leaders call the sweep intimidation and downplay its scale.
What Federal Prosecutors Say Happened
The Department of Justice announced felony charges against 28 foreign nationals living in California, all identified as lawful permanent residents who are not allowed to vote in United States elections. Prosecutors said the defendants signed voter registration forms stating they were citizens. They also said court filings show the statements were willful lies under oath to access the ballot. The government added counts tied to naturalization forms, alleging false statements there too, each carrying up to five years in prison.
The operation featured a detailed case to show the pattern. Prosecutors named Omar Alexander Muñoz, a 72-year-old from Belize, alleging he claimed citizenship to register in 2019, then voted in 2020, twice in 2022, and in 2024. They also said he made a conflicting statement under oath on a later naturalization application. Local television reporting confirmed the sweep’s size and said officials alleged Muñoz voted four times between 2020 and 2024.
Who Allegedly Voted, And Who Only Registered
The charges separate two acts: registering while claiming to be a citizen, and actually voting. The Department of Justice described both behaviors in the group of 28. The Los Angeles Times reported that 21 of the defendants were suspected of casting ballots, and some did so in multiple elections. That means not every person accused is charged with voting. The common thread is the alleged false citizenship claim on a signed registration that triggered access to the voter rolls.
Officials tied the sweep to a broader federal push on election crimes. Justice Department releases this year describe similar cases in other states, which helps explain why California was not treated as an outlier but as one front in a national effort. The government framed the cases as simple rules: only citizens vote in federal elections, and lying on a registration or on a naturalization form is a crime. That core claim stands whether or not any single ballot swung a race.
Defense Pushback And The Scale Debate
Some defendants expressed confusion. One said he did not remember registering. Another said he did not know he had registered at all. Muñoz stated the principle of presumption of innocence and noted his decades in the country and tax history, while not admitting the conduct. Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn called the sweep intimidation, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta argued that 28 arrests are tiny compared with about 23 million voters statewide.
Update: DOJ's noncitizen-voting push now spans three states: 5 charged in northern New York and a Canadian green-card holder in Idaho, accused of voting in the 2022 general, on top of the 10 North Carolina indictments. All are charges, not convictions.
— Frontier Signal (@FrontierSigHQ) October 17, 2026
Federal prosecutor Bill Essayli acknowledged that not everyone on the suspected list voted, which undercuts any claim that the list alone proves widespread fraud. He said most on the list did vote at least once, but not all. That admission is honest and useful. It also tracks with common sense: good enforcement separates willful deception from clerical errors. Conservatives should welcome that filter. It protects legal votes and guards the accused from being smeared by database noise.
What To Watch Next: Proof, Process, And Policy
These are allegations, not verdicts. Courts will decide whether each signed form shows a knowing lie or a misunderstanding. The strongest cases will pair a checked citizen box with clear election history and a sworn naturalization statement that conflicts with the claim. The government should publish complaint numbers and exhibits so the public can see the evidence trail. Sunlight helps both sides. If the proof is solid, confidence rises. If it is weak, courts will throw it out.
Policy will follow the facts. If even a small number of noncitizen registrations turn into ballots, states should tighten front-end checks without making legal voters jump through hoops. Simple tools exist: clear citizenship warnings in plain language, consistent proof-of-citizenship steps at naturalization, and fast data checks between election offices and immigration records. That is not partisan; that is maintenance. A secure system needs locks that work and doors that open for every eligible citizen, every time.
Sources:
redstate.com, justice.gov, yahoo.com, newrepublic.com, latimes.com, electionlawblog.org
