6 Noncitizens Charged Over Illegal Voting in US Elections

Six immigrants are facing federal charges for violating election laws, including voting illegally in federal elections, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The six individuals—two from Cuba, two from Canada, and one each from Ecuador and Brazil, all lawful permanent residents in the United States—voted despite not being U.S. citizens, the DOJ said in an Oct. 22 statement.

Jamie Orlando Sosa Sardina, 60, a Cuban national, allegedly registered to vote in 2022. Martha Haydee Desantis, 81, an Ecuadorian, allegedly re-registered to vote in 2024. Lise Marie Johnson, 69, a Canadian national, allegedly registered in 2021.

Sardina and Desantis are accused of voting in the 2022 and 2024 federal general elections, and Johnson allegedly voted in the 2022 election.

The defendants are charged with making false statements claiming U.S. citizenship to vote, and illegal voting by an immigrant.

If convicted, each defendant faces up to one year in prison for the illegal voting charge and up to five years for the false citizenship statement offense.

Luis Manuel Perez, 72, a Cuban national, and Diane Wendy Curley, 55, a Canadian national, are accused of voting in both the 2022 and 2024 federal general elections.

The sixth defendant, Pedro Igor Franco, 37, a Brazilian national, allegedly voted in the 2024 election.

These three were charged with illegal voting by an immigrant.

The six individuals were charged in Florida, according to an Oct. 22 post on X by the DOJ.

The Epoch Times was unable to reach the defendants’ legal representatives.

In an Oct. 16 statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Homeland Security Investigations had arrested a noncitizen for allegedly falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen to vote in the 2024 election.

A federal grand jury indicted the person in Minnesota last month.

“Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences, including criminal charges and deportation,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in the statement.

“This administration will never allow the votes of American citizens to be cancelled out by non-citizens illegally voting in our elections. Only American citizens should be electing American leaders.”

Meanwhile, DHS is facing a legal roadblock in its efforts to ensure election integrity.

On Oct. 21, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction that bars the department from carrying out certain election investigations in nine states.

The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by multiple groups, including nursing unions. 

The federal judge ruled that DHS cannot conduct election field operations or interviews targeting individuals who are known or suspected to be U.S. citizens.

The judge said nursing unions are likely to succeed on the claim that DHS’s actions violate the Voting Rights Act, which protects voters against intimidation.

The injunction covers California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin. DHS had surged resources in these states to tackle issues related to noncitizen voting.

An Aug. 18 report by the Census Bureau highlighted noncitizens voting in U.S. elections, suggesting thousands may have voted in the 2020 general election.

Out of the roughly 160 million individuals who cast votes in the election, the bureau “determined with high confidence” that more than 128 million voter records belonged to U.S. citizens while more than 24,000 voter records were of noncitizens, the report said.