Voting Rights · Report · File No. 261102-088
Justice Department charges six more green card holders in California voter case
Federal prosecutors charged six more lawful permanent residents on Monday, the day before Election Day. The arrests came as the Supreme Court rejected the department's bid to set aside about 20,000 California ballots.
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The Justice Department charged six more people in California on Monday with crimes tied to voter registration. Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, announced the cases at a press conference one day before the midterm election 1.
All six are lawful permanent residents, also called green card holders. They are immigrants with legal status who are barred from voting in federal elections. They come from Mexico, Israel, the Philippines, Canada and Iran, prosecutors said 1.
What the charges say
Each person faces one count of making false statements on a naturalization application. Prosecutors say the six registered to vote unlawfully, then claimed on their citizenship applications that they never had 1. The complaints say they cast ballots in recent years, but they are not charged with illegal voting itself 1.
The maximum sentence is five years in prison. Five of the six have been arrested. None has been formally indicted, and it was not clear whether any has a lawyer 1. Charges are allegations, not findings of guilt.
One 52-year-old Canadian man is accused of voting unlawfully twice and then trying to cancel his registration. The complaint says he has been in the U.S. for more than 40 years. A 43-year-old woman from the Philippines, in the U.S. since 1992, is accused of voting several times since 2020 1.
A list with problems
Essayli said the six were on the department's list of 20,000 California voters who might be fraudulently registered. He argued the cases support the push to stop those ballots from being counted 1. The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the Trump administration's appeals in that fight 1.
An immigrants' rights group analyzed the list and said in a weekend court filing that more than 40% of the people flagged could not be found on California's voter rolls. The 20,000 names are a tiny share of the state's more than 23 million registered voters 1.
Asked about accuracy, Essayli said the government used “third-party databases” and that the list “may not be 100%” accurate, but carried a “very, very high confidence rate” 1. At the first round of arrests last month, the acting deputy attorney general conceded the list might include citizens 12.
There may be some names on there who, it turns out, ultimately are citizens. We’re not perfect, and that’s why we’ve asked California to cooperate with us.
Why the timing matters
Experts called it extraordinary to bring such cases in the middle of an election. Federal prosecutors traditionally avoid steps that could look political or interfere with a race 1. Former prosecutors and defense lawyers criticized the showy presentation, including mugshots and handcuffed defendants in front of cameras 1.
Democrats have accused the department of trying to sow doubt in the results and to create a false impression that voter fraud is widespread. Experts say voting by noncitizens is extremely rare and usually stems from confusion 1.
On Friday, a federal judge blocked the administration from continuing to threaten election officials with prosecution. The judge said the department's “intimidation, threats, and attempts at coercion” force election workers to choose between unlawful demands and their duties 1. Separately, a judge ruled last week that Essayli was “unlawfully” serving as head of the U.S. attorney's office because the Senate never confirmed him. The department is appealing 1.
The analysis: the department's own list is the weak point. Its prosecutors admit it is imperfect, and a court filing says over 40% of the names were not on the rolls. Arrests built on that list, announced on the eve of voting, can frighten eligible voters regardless of what courts decide.
is an unprecedented suspension — and even denial — of voting rights
The Record
- California Secretary of State Shirley Weber wrote to the Justice Department, calling its demand to set aside ballots a denial of voting rights 2.
- The Justice Department announced charges against 28 green card holders in California 21.
- A federal judge barred the administration from threatening election officials with prosecution 1.
- Essayli announced charges against six more green card holders, and the Supreme Court rejected the department's ballot appeals 1.
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Sources
- The Guardian, “Trump's DoJ charges six more people in 'voter fraud' crackdown in California” (2026-11-02). theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/02/california-voter-fraud-c
- NPR (via KUOW), “DOJ charges 28 in California with voting crimes as election tensions escalate” (2026-10-19). kuow.org/npr-news/2026-10-19/doj-charges-28-in-california-wi
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