‘They Said Voter Fraud Didn’t Exist’: Federal Authorities Make Wave of Election Crime Arrests Ahead of Midterms

Just this month, the Justice Department arrested or charged at least 22 individuals in voter fraud-related crimes, while the Department of Homeland Security arrested and moved to deport at least four noncitizen voters.

The enforcement comes with weeks to go before the midterm elections, and as Senate Republicans have been unable to pass the SAVE America Act over a Democrat filibuster.

Last week, the Justice Department announced the arrests in Texas, which had more arrests than any single state, as well as Georgia and Michigan, which have competitive Senate races this year. Other states such as Wisconsin, usually a swing state, as well as Idaho, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, were contested.

The previous week, federal prosecutors charged six individuals with election crimes in California, Kansas, and Louisiana. Early in the month, the Justice Department made arrests in Pennsylvania.

“If there is fraud in our elections, it needs to be rooted out immediately. I am grateful the Trump administration is taking this seriously and working to get to the bottom of it,” Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., the chairwoman of the House Election Integrity Caucus, told the Daily Signal.

“These arrests are encouraging because they show alleged election crimes are being investigated and enforced. Voter fraud is real, and even one illegal vote can matter in a close election,” Tenney added. “We need to protect every legal vote and enforce our election laws.”

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The arrests show why Congress should pass the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require voter ID and proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.

“The recent DOJ arrests for election fraud-related crimes proves that now more than ever the Senate must pass the SAVE Act,” Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., told the Daily Signal.

He referenced a Pew Research Center survey from last year that found 83% of Americans support requiring photo ID to vote.

“Over 80% of Americans want stricter voter ID laws. It is inexcusable for holdout senators to defy the demands of the vast majority of our citizens,” DesJarlais said. “Free and fair elections are what make America the greatest country in the world. As lawmakers we must do everything in our power to protect the integrity and rights of every legal voter in the U.S.”

Last week, the Justice Department announced that eight noncitizens living in Texas are facing charges for alleged unlawful voting or false voter registration.

Also last week, a federal grand jury in Boise, Idaho, indicted an illegal alien from Mexico, alleging that he claimed to be a U.S. citizen to register to vote and thereafter voted in 2022 and 2024. Prosecutors in the Northern District of Georgia arrested three suspected illegal aliens for allegedly voting in U.S. elections. Prosecutors in Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin, and New Jersey also brought charges last week.

“For years, the Left mocked anyone who dared question election integrity. They said voter fraud didn’t exist. Twenty-two arrests in a matter of weeks say otherwise. And this is only who has been caught so far,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told the Daily Signal. “One illegal vote is one too many. Wanting secure elections isn’t voter suppression or some outrageous idea. It’s common sense. Accurate voter rolls, verified citizenship, enforced laws, every legal vote protected.”

Two weeks ago, one man was arrested and two others were charged with paying people on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles to sign petitions using the stolen identities of registered voters to qualify ballot initiatives. They were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit identity fraud in furtherance of a state felony.

That same week, a federal grand jury in the District of Kansas charged a noncitizen with illegally voting, and another grand jury in the Western District of Louisiana charged two noncitizens with illegally voting.

In the first week of September, a grand jury in the Middle District of Pennsylvania indicted one noncitizen for allegedly illegal voting, and her husband for allegedly aiding and abetting. A grand jury in the same district indicted an illegal immigrant for voting. That same week, federal prosecutors in New Jersey charged a noncitizen with voting, while Wisconsin prosecutors charged an illegal immigrant with voting.

Rep.  Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said the Trump administration first secured the borders and is now “taking action to further secure our elections.”

“These recent arrests make clear that illegal voting and voter registration fraud are real problems, and what we’re seeing is likely only the tip of the iceberg,” Fitzgerald told the Daily Signal. 

“I’m proud to have voted for the SAVE America Act, and I’m extremely frustrated that the Senate has failed to act on a measure that will ensure only American citizens can vote in our elections,” Fitzgerald added.

This month, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, working with Homeland Security Investigations, arrested four illegal aliens who voted in past U.S. elections. This followed a DHS directive in June for ICE to enforce stricter penalties for noncitizens who illegally vote in American elections, including deportation.

“While ICE Homeland Security Investigations is not able to comment on any active investigations, HSI is actively rooting out and investigating election fraud wherever it can be found,” a DHS spokesperson told the Daily Signal in an email. “We have repeatedly demonstrated that illegal aliens can and do vote in our elections.”