Three Filipinos among 28 green card holders charged in California over alleged illegal voting

Three Philippine nationals are among 28 lawful permanent residents charged in California with alleged election-related offences under the Justice Department's 'Operation Protect the Vote', a reminder that green card holders are not permitted to vote in US elections.

Three Filipinos were among 28 green card holders charged with election-related offences in California as part of a federal crackdown on alleged illegal voting, the US Department of Justice announced, INQUIRER.net USA reported.

The charges were part of 'Operation Protect the Vote', a coordinated effort involving all four US attorney's offices in California. Federal authorities said 11 people were arrested out of the 28 charged statewide. All 28 defendants are lawful permanent residents, who have legal immigration status in the United States but are not permitted to vote in US elections, the Justice Department said.

According to the Justice Department, one of the Filipinos allegedly registered to vote on the day of the November 2024 general election, falsely certified that she was a US citizen and voted. She was charged with voting by an alien in a federal election, a misdemeanour that carries a maximum sentence of one year in federal prison. The other two allegedly registered and voted in the November 2024 election and made false statements in their naturalisation interviews, prosecutors said.

The crackdown comes amid a dispute between the Trump administration and California officials over voter eligibility ahead of the 3 November midterm elections, INQUIRER.net USA reported. California Attorney General Rob Bonta rejected allegations of widespread voter fraud, saying isolated cases were possible but represented only a tiny fraction of the state's registered voters.

The Justice Department noted that a complaint, indictment and information merely contain accusations, and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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