Trump Justice Department Charges 28 Noncitizens in California Election Fraud Crackdown as Battle Over 20,000 Voter Registrations Intensifies

President Trump’s Justice Department has filed federal charges against 28 foreign nationals in California accused of illegally registering to vote, casting ballots in American elections and making false statements about their citizenship, exposing alleged election law violations as the administration battles state officials over thousands of disputed voter registrations.

The defendants were identified through Operation Protect the Vote, a coordinated federal investigation involving all four U.S. Attorney’s Offices in California and Homeland Security Investigations.

Federal authorities announced the initial charges on October 19, revealing that 11 suspects had been arrested during enforcement operations across the state. The Justice Department highlighted the cases again Monday as part of a broader nationwide announcement involving 48 foreign nationals accused of election-related crimes.

All 28 California defendants were lawful permanent residents, commonly known as green card holders, when the alleged violations occurred. Although they were legally permitted to reside in the United States, they were not American citizens and therefore were prohibited from voting in federal elections.

According to federal prosecutors, numerous defendants falsely declared themselves American citizens on voter registration forms, participated in elections and subsequently denied their voting histories when applying for naturalization.

The allegations involve elections dating back several years, including the 2020, 2022 and 2024 federal elections.

One defendant, 72-year-old Belizean national Omar Alexander Muñoz of Commerce, California, allegedly registered to vote in September 2019 by falsely claiming American citizenship.

Prosecutors say Muñoz subsequently voted in the 2020 election, twice in 2022 and again in 2024. He is also accused of lying on his naturalization application by denying that he had ever claimed to be a U.S. citizen.

Another defendant, 30-year-old Indian national Amandeep Kaur of Rancho Palos Verdes, allegedly registered to vote in December 2022 and cast a ballot in the November 2024 election despite not possessing American citizenship.

Federal prosecutors also charged 43-year-old Mexican national Maricela Nazarín González of Clovis, who allegedly registered in 2020 and participated in elections during 2022, 2024 and 2025.

In Sacramento, 46-year-old Mexican national Juan Antonio Rivas García allegedly submitted voter registration applications in 2018 and 2020, falsely declaring American citizenship on both occasions.

Investigators say he later voted in the 2022 and 2024 elections.

Another defendant, 41-year-old Filipino national Giezell Viduya Adawag of Vacaville, allegedly registered and voted on the same day during the November 2024 presidential election.

The Justice Department says she falsely certified her citizenship status during the registration process.

The California investigation also identified individuals accused of concealing their voting histories while attempting to become naturalized American citizens.

Those allegations are particularly significant because federal immigration law requires applicants to provide truthful information about previous claims of citizenship and participation in American elections.

Depending on the charges, defendants could face substantial penalties, including federal imprisonment.

Some of the alleged violations involving fraudulent naturalization paperwork carry maximum sentences of five years in prison, while certain unlawful voting offenses carry maximum penalties of one year.

The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The prosecutions have become central to a separate legal battle between the Trump administration and California’s Democratic leadership over approximately 20,000 voter registrations flagged by federal investigators.

According to the Justice Department, all 28 California defendants appeared on a larger list of individuals whose citizenship status raised concerns during a review of state voter records.

Federal authorities provided that list to California officials on October 13 and requested assistance verifying eligibility before the November 3 midterm elections.

The administration also demanded that ballots associated with potentially ineligible individuals be separated from other votes until their citizenship status could be established.

California officials rejected the request, questioning the accuracy of the federal government’s information and arguing that the proposed measures could interfere with lawful voting.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter criticized the state’s refusal to cooperate.

“Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen,” McCotter said when announcing the California charges.

He emphasized that each defendant had appeared on the disputed voter registration list and argued that the criminal cases demonstrated why the state should conduct additional citizenship checks.

“Today’s charges show exactly what that refusal puts at risk,” McCotter said.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli also criticized California election officials, accusing them of mailing ballots to individuals who are not legally eligible to vote.

“California is mailing ballots to noncitizens, and they are refusing to comply with federal law,” Essayli said.

He maintained that protecting the voting rights of American citizens requires election officials to ensure that ballots are not counted when they were cast by ineligible individuals.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has rejected the administration’s broader allegations, accusing federal authorities of using election enforcement for political purposes.

State officials contend that the list of approximately 20,000 suspected noncitizens contains errors and does not establish that those individuals are actually ineligible.

Los Angeles County election officials have also raised concerns that some names provided by federal investigators belong to people born in the United States.

Those disagreements have become central to the administration’s attempt to obtain emergency relief from federal courts.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to require California officials to separate ballots associated with disputed registrations.

Federal prosecutors argued that once potentially unlawful ballots are mixed with valid votes, it may become impossible to identify and remove them from election totals.

However, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the administration’s emergency appeal Monday in a 2-1 decision, concluding that the district court had not been given sufficient opportunity to consider the government’s request.

The appeals court did not resolve the underlying dispute over voter eligibility.

A hearing before U.S. District Judge David Carter remains scheduled for Tuesday, October 27.

The timing places additional pressure on federal and state officials because voting is already underway in California.

The Justice Department’s criminal prosecutions demonstrate that investigators have identified specific individuals accused of violating federal election laws. They do not, however, establish that all 20,000 people on the disputed registration list are noncitizens or that their ballots are unlawful.

The distinction remains important as the administration seeks broader court intervention.

The California charges were announced alongside additional prosecutions involving foreign nationals in Pennsylvania, Florida, New York and Nevada.

Across those states, the Justice Department reported charges involving 48 individuals accused of offenses including unlawful voting, fraudulent registration and false claims of citizenship.

The nationwide enforcement initiative reflects the Trump administration’s increased focus on identifying noncitizens who allegedly participated in federal elections.

President Trump has repeatedly called for stronger election safeguards, including citizenship verification requirements and tighter enforcement of laws prohibiting noncitizen voting.

Federal law already bars noncitizens from voting in presidential and congressional elections, although determining eligibility and maintaining voter registration records generally involve state and local election authorities.

The administration maintains that stronger cooperation between federal immigration agencies and state election officials is necessary to identify unlawful registrations.

California officials argue that eligibility reviews must rely on accurate evidence and comply with legal protections for eligible voters.

With the midterm elections approaching, the dispute has developed into a significant confrontation over federal election enforcement and state control of voting procedures.

For the Justice Department, the 28 California cases provide concrete examples of alleged violations uncovered during its investigation.

For California election officials, the question remains whether those cases justify the administration’s demands involving thousands of additional registrations.

The criminal prosecutions will proceed separately from the federal lawsuit over disputed ballots, with prosecutors required to prove each defendant’s alleged wrongdoing.

The administration has pledged to continue investigating unlawful voting and fraudulent citizenship claims as part of its broader election security initiative.

The latest charges underscore the consequences individuals can face for allegedly misrepresenting their citizenship and participating in elections for which they are not eligible, while the larger legal battle over California’s voter rolls remains unresolved.