The Department of Justice on Monday announced the arrests of 28 Californians based on a debunked list of alleged noncitizen voters — the latest move in the Trump administration’s broader effort to meddle in the state’s midterm elections.
The targeted individuals were among 20,000 people the DOJ claims are noncitizens registered to vote in Los Angeles County. But an examination by the county election officials found that 13,000 of those on the list did not live in the county, 43% had already had their registrations canceled, and 71% had never voted.
Undeterred, the Trump administration executed countywide arrests using tactics usually reserved for drug busts or taking down crime rings. Six patrol vehicles and a helicopter were sent to arrest Omar Muñoz, a 72-year-old retiree who moved to the US in 1974. Muñoz was told by agents that if he didn’t open the door, they’d break it down. When he did, they shackled him and forced him to walk past a gaggle of reporters from conservative news outlets who had been invited by the DOJ to ensure the arrest would become a spectacle.
“Why couldn’t they send me a letter saying that you are required to come to this building because you have a warrant, or we will go and arrest you?” Muñoz said in an interview with KCRW. “They put chains on me around my waist, around my legs, and I said, ‘Look, I can’t even run away from you guys. Why are you doing this? Remember, I’m a fall risk.’ They didn’t care.”
Dubbed “the biggest voter fraud bust in California’s history” by the California Post, the numbers tell a very different story. The 28 arrests represent roughly 0.0001% of the state’s registered voters, and are a far cry from the 190,000 noncitizen voters the Trump administration originally claimed to have identified.
California voters approved new district maps for the midterm elections that are expected to net Democrats five additional seats in the House of Representatives. But state officials are concerned the arrests will be used to justify the White House’s goal of disqualifying any ballots cast by the 20,000 people on its list. If successful, it could affect the results in some of California’s more competitive congressional districts to favor Republicans.
US Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), who represents many of the individuals targeted by the Trump administration, believes the arrests amount to voter intimidation. He told COURIER that he’s working with county and state election officials to ensure voters are able to cast their ballots and have them counted.
“This administration is trying to unconstitutionally stop California from counting ballots and bully Americans out of voting in the midterms,” said Garcia. “California has some of the strongest election protections in the country, and non-citizens are already prohibited from voting. We’re in touch with LA County and the California Secretary of State to fight this sad, desperate attempt by Donald Trump to meddle in the midterms.”
Should Democrats take control of the House in January, Garcia is expected to chair the powerful House Oversight Committee, where he has pledged to investigate corruption within the Trump administration, ways the president’s family has leveraged the White House for personal enrichment, and the apparent cover-up of Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal network.
Attempts to Sanewash
Justice Dept. Charges 28 in California With Voting-Related Crimes
California residents accused by feds of voter fraud react with shock, confusion and anger
Far-Right Spin
DOJ Charges 28 Non-Citizens Found on Voter Rolls: ‘These Are Not Isolated Instances’
Operation Protect the Vote: Largest Voter Fraud Takedown in California History
*It’s against federal law for military or armed law enforcement to be at voting locations, and state and local election officials across the country have reassured voters that federal agents’ presence will not be tolerated. If you see troops or law enforcement at your polling place — or if someone appears to be impersonating an officer — report it to onsite staff or contact your local election officials.
