US federal authorities arrested over two dozen foreign nationals on Monday in California as part of a statewide sweep targeting people who officials say have illegally registered and voted in the country’s midterm elections.
The arrests are part of a Trump administration effort to root out non-citizen voting ahead of next month’s midterm elections, even though data shows that the problem is incredibly rare, difficult to prove and has not been shown to change the outcome of races.
They also reflect a further escalation in a simmering voter roll fight between the federal government and California that came into focus last week when the Justice Department sued the state and later warned that local election workers who knowingly process or tabulate ballots submitted by non-citizen voters are at risk of investigation and potential prosecution.
The Justice Department said all those arrested as part of a sweep dubbed Operation Protect the Vote are lawful permanent residents – but not US citizens who are permitted to legally vote.