Indian citizen arrested for allegedly voting illegally in 2024 US election
New Delhi: US immigration authorities have arrested Indian citizen Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari for allegedly casting a ballot in the 2024 US general election after falsely claiming American citizenship.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) said Chaudhari faces one count of false information in voting and another of making a false citizenship claim to register to vote. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison if he is convicted.
Citizenship claim under scrutiny
According to the DOJ, Chaudhari signed a voter signature certificate in Minnesota on November 5, 2024. The document required him to swear or affirm that he was a United States citizen. A federal grand jury indicted him on September 10. The charges remain allegations until proved in court.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said authorities would prosecute people who knowingly misrepresented their citizenship to vote. “The right to vote is a sacred privilege of American citizenship, and every lawful voter deserves an election system in which that right is protected.”
DHS warns of consequences
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said non-citizens who voted unlawfully could face prosecution and deportation. “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.”
Mullin said the administration would protect American citizens’ votes. “Only American citizens should be electing American leaders,” he said.
Wider election policy push
The arrest comes amid the Trump administration’s focus on suspected electoral fraud. Trump and his allies have continued to challenge the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden.
Trump has claimed that a review involving DHS, state voter rolls and public records identified approximately 278,000 non-citizens registered to vote in federal elections. That figure represents his claim, rather than a finding established in Chaudhari’s case.
The White House has also urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act. The proposal would require proof of citizenship and photo identification for voting in federal elections.
The legislative push has largely stalled. Legal experts have raised concerns that strict documentation requirements could prevent eligible Americans, particularly minority voters, from exercising their voting rights.