Seven charged with illegal voting

Six lawful permanent residents and one Mexican national ordered removed from the US have been charged with illegally voting, attempting to vote, or falsely claiming citizenship in federal elections.

“Federal elections belong to American citizens, period.”

Trump administration expands election focus

The charges come as the Trump administration increases enforcement on election integrity and noncitizen voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Noncitizen voting remains extremely rare

Voting rights advocates and election experts say documented cases of noncitizen voting are relatively rare. The Heritage Foundation's database recorded only 24 instances from 2003 through 2023.

Helen Sayen Adams case

Helen Sayen Adams, a 67-year-old Nigerian green card holder, falsely claimed US citizenship on a Texas voter registration application before voting in the November 2024 election in Tarrant County.

Rocio Thrasher and Khalwinder Singh Bhengura

Rocio Thrasher, a 38-year-old Mexican green card holder, made a false citizenship claim when registering to vote. Khalwinder Singh Bhengura, a 69-year-old Indian green card holder, falsely claimed citizenship on both voter registration and a Texas driver's license application.

Provisional ballot cases rejected

Celestin Katubadi, a 20-year-old from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Carlos Salas Barrios, a 41-year-old Mexican citizen, cast provisional ballots in the 2024 election despite being ineligible. Both ballots were rejected by election officials.

Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom's false statements

Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom, a Nigerian green card holder since 2016, made false statements during naturalization, denying he had registered to vote or voted. Records show he registered in 2017 and voted in the 2018 election.

Moises Anwar Arellano-Alba case

Moises Anwar Arellano-Alba, a Mexican national ordered removed from the US in July, falsely claimed citizenship on a Texas driver's license application and voted in the 2024 election in Dallas County. He surrendered after being sought as a fugitive.

Texas flags 2,724 potential noncitizens

Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden said his office flagged 2,724 potential noncitizens from 18 million registered voters using the federal SAVE database. The number was narrowed after further investigation.

578 citizens wrongly flagged

More than 550 voters whose eligibility was revoked were later determined to be US citizens and reinstated on voter rolls. The disconnect highlights how state and federal records are not synchronized.

“We also have a responsibility to make sure eligible citizens can exercise their right to vote.”

Anthony Tyrone Higgs arrested in Georgia

The Department of Homeland Security arrested Anthony Tyrone Higgs, a Bahamian green card holder in Georgia, for illegally voting in the 2020 election. He had prior convictions for armed robbery, domestic violence, and assault on a police officer.

Penalties range up to five years

Voting-by-alien offenses carry a maximum of one year in prison per count. Knowingly making false citizenship claims to register or vote carries up to five years per count. Actual sentences depend on convictions and sentencing guidelines.