Two Indians among 28 arrested in California over alleged voter registration fraud, DOJ says

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Monday that two Indian nationals were arrested in California over the weekend in connection with alleged voter registration fraud. The arrests were part of a wider operation in which 28 people were taken into custody across California, including 11 on Monday. The DOJ said the action was part of a coordinated effort among all four California-based United States Attorney’s Offices to combat and root out fraud in US elections and protect electoral integrity. According to the department, all 28 defendants are green card holders and face various criminal charges related to alleged citizenship fraud, including registering to vote in California despite not being US citizens.

Two Indian nationals identified

The two Indian nationals were identified as Amandeep Kaur, 30, and Kamlesh Navnitlal Shah, 67. Kaur, a resident of Rancho Palos Verdes in Los Angeles County, is reportedly seeking US citizenship. The DOJ alleged that Kaur fraudulently registered to vote in California, first in the December 2022 midterm elections and again in the November 2024 general election.

Shah, who resides in Sacramento, California, was accused of registering to vote and casting a ballot in the 2024 US elections. The DOJ said some of the 28 defendants face charges of making false statements in naturalisation applications, while others, including Kaur and Shah, face allegations involving fraudulent voter registration. The charges remain allegations, and the defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty in court.

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California officials criticise state's handling of voter records

The DOJ statement included comments from California's Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, who alleged that state election officials had failed to investigate a list of potentially ineligible registrants. “Each of the 28 defendants charged today appears on the list of more than 20,000 likely noncitizen registrants we provided to California election officials last week," McCotter said. "California refused to look at that list. Today's charges show exactly what that refusal puts at risk. California must verify the citizenship of those more than 20,000 registrants before mail-in ballots are counted.”

Bill Essayli, First Assistant US Attorney, also raised concerns about the state's election procedures and compliance with federal law. “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.”

DOJ reports 113 arrests across 20 states

The Justice Department said on Monday that federal authorities had arrested 113 people across 20 states over the previous seven weeks in connection with alleged fraudulent voter registration. At least 50 of those arrested have been charged with voting as non-citizens, according to the department.