DOJ charges 28 in California sweep targeting alleged noncitizen voting

As of 1:24 p.m. ET, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026

Federal authorities on Monday charged 28 foreign nationals living in California as part of a statewide sweep dubbed “Operation Protect the Vote,” alleging they illegally registered to vote and, in many cases, cast ballots in U.S. elections, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said. The office’s release said federal law enforcement arrested 11 of them on Monday; The Associated Press and ABC7 reported more than two dozen arrests.

The Justice Department said all 28 people charged are lawful permanent residents — green-card holders who have legal immigration status but are not U.S. citizens and are not permitted to vote in U.S. elections. Criminal complaints and informations contain only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

The charges include making false statements in a naturalization application and, for some defendants, fraudulent voter registration. Both are felonies that carry a statutory maximum of five years in federal prison, according to the Central District release. Some defendants in other California districts face related counts, including voting by an alien in a federal election, a misdemeanor carrying a maximum of one year, the office said. Those arrested Monday were expected to make initial appearances in U.S. District Court; no pleas were to be taken that day, the release said.

The operation involved all four U.S. attorney’s offices in California — Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern — in what the Justice Department described as a coordinated effort. Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the Central District cases; HSI and the FBI are investigating matters in the Eastern and Northern Districts; and HSI, the FBI, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are investigating in the Southern District, according to the Central District release.

“Election integrity is really important to this administration. It should be important to every American,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, told reporters, The Associated Press reported. “The right to vote is critical. It’s the foundation of our system of government. And if we have noncitizens voting, it dilutes the votes of American citizens.”

In the Central District release, Essayli said: “Today’s arrests prove what we have been saying. California is mailing ballots to noncitizens, and they are refusing to comply with federal law, which makes it a crime for noncitizens to vote. The voting rights of American citizens must be protected.” Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said, “Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen.”

ABC7 Los Angeles reported federal law-enforcement activity Monday in the Commerce area of Los Angeles County as part of the same statewide operation and said authorities reported more than two dozen arrests tied to allegations that noncitizens registered to vote, with some also accused of casting ballots.

The Associated Press reported that the Monday arrests further escalate a voter-roll dispute between the federal government and California that intensified last week when the Justice Department sued the state and later warned that local election workers who knowingly process or tabulate ballots submitted by noncitizen voters could face investigation and potential prosecution.

On Oct. 15, the Justice Department, working with the Department of Homeland Security, filed a complaint against California over its voter list, alleging that people who are likely noncitizens are registered to vote and that, under California law, every registered voter is mailed a ballot. The department said it is unlawful for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Essayli said California election officials had been given an opportunity to sequester ballots returned from suspected ineligible voters and refused, prompting the federal lawsuit.

On Friday, Oct. 16, the Justice Department followed with a letter warning that election officials who knowingly process ballots cast by noncitizen voters risk investigation. GROKsiNEWS.com reported that letter, addressed to the Los Angeles County Counsel’s office and copied to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan, in a separate story. Logan said his office is focused on conducting a fair and secure election and that the Justice Department’s assertions are best addressed in court, The Associated Press and ABC7 reported.

The Associated Press reported that before Monday the Justice Department had charged about 90 people this year for various types of election misconduct, including 50 alleged to have voted as noncitizens, and noted that data shows noncitizen voting is rare, difficult to prove, and has not been shown to change the outcome of races. There were more than 227 million registered voters in the United States during the 2024 presidential election, the AP said.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Attorney General Rob Bonta had not commented publicly on Monday’s arrests as of 1:24 p.m. ET Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. The Associated Press reported that requests for comment sent Monday to the secretary of state, state attorney general, and governor’s offices were not immediately returned.