Federal authorities in California have charged 28 legal permanent residents in a crackdown on alleged noncitizen voter registration and voting. The charges, announced Monday, October 19, primarily target individuals who were in the process of applying for U.S. citizenship. Most of the accused face felony charges related to lying on naturalization forms or during immigration interviews, which could result in prison time and deportation.
The Trump administration said the cases are part of an effort to address noncitizen voting ahead of the midterm elections. While federal authorities stated the actions protect the voting rights of American citizens, California state officials argued that the administration's numbers of potential noncitizens on voter rolls are likely inflated. State officials also noted that once ballots are mailed, they are separated from individual identification, making them impossible to isolate.
Among those charged is José Antonio Bañuelos-Díaz, 42, a legal permanent resident for 40 years. Prosecutors alleged he claimed citizenship while registering to vote in 2007 and omitted this on his October 2025 citizenship application. Bañuelos-Díaz, who was arrested on Monday, October 19, said he did not know he was registered and has never cast a ballot. In another case, Pamele Arbues Line, 56, was arrested following her October 15 naturalization interview. The government alleged she registered five times and voted once; Line told authorities she believed she had derived citizenship from her mother four decades ago.
The crackdown affects legal permanent residents, also known as green card holders, who are at various stages of the naturalization process. While noncitizen voting is reported by researchers to be rare, the legal consequences for those charged are substantial. A conviction for the misdemeanor of illegally voting carries up to one year in prison, but the felony charge of lying on a citizenship application carries a penalty of up to 10 years. For the 28 individuals charged, these legal proceedings could result in the denial of U.S. citizenship and subsequent deportation.
The scale of the investigation involves a review of naturalization and Homeland Security records, including a benefits fraud audit conducted in August. The Department of Justice is also suing the state of California to verify the status of approximately 20,000 registered voters the federal government identifies as potential noncitizens. This figure represents a small fraction of California’s 23 million registered voters. The enforcement arrives as government data shows a significant slowdown in naturalization processing; U.S. officials approved 58,000 applications between April and June 2026, which is less than 25% of the number approved during the same period in 2025.
Individuals navigating the naturalization process may notice increased scrutiny during interviews and background checks. The use of DMV records, where California residents are prompted to register to vote while applying for driver's licenses, appears to be a central point of evidence in several cases. Amandeep Kaur, one of the accused, reportedly registered while applying for a driver's license in 2024. Her husband stated they believed a returned ballot was actually a registration form. As of Thursday, October 22, the government had filed detailed charging documents in 10 of the 28 cases. Court dates for the defendants have not been publicly specified.