Two Indian nationals, Amandeep Kaur and Kamlesh Navnitlal Shah, have been charged in California with election fraud for allegedly registering and voting in the 2024 United States presidential election while holding green cards. Both individuals are among 28 foreign nationals facing federal charges related to unlawful voter registration and participation in the election. Eleven of the accused were arrested in coordinated law enforcement actions across the state.
According to Scroll, the United States Department of Justice stated that Kaur, a resident of Rancho Palos Verdes, registered to vote in December 2022 and participated in the November 2024 election. Shah, residing in Sacramento, allegedly registered and voted on the day of the 2024 presidential election. Both face felony charges, which carry a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
As reported by Financial Express, the arrests are part of "Operation Protect the Vote," a coordinated effort by California-based US Attorney’s Offices to address election fraud and protect electoral integrity. The Department of Justice emphasized that green card holders, while lawful permanent residents, are not permitted to vote in US elections under federal law.
As highlighted by The Observer Post, the Justice Department indicated that it had provided California election officials with a list of over 20,000 likely non-citizen registrants prior to the arrests. The department stated that California officials declined to review the list before the charges were filed.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter was quoted as saying, “Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen.” The Justice Department reiterated the importance of verifying voter citizenship before counting mail-in ballots. Further details confirm that both Kaur and Shah are also facing charges of making false statements in naturalisation applications, which could impact their eligibility for US citizenship.
“California must verify the citizenship of those more than 20,000 registrants before mail-in ballots are counted,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, as cited in official statements.
Coverage revealed that the Justice Department has arrested 113 people in 20 states over the last seven weeks for alleged fraudulent voter registration, with at least 50 charged with voting as non-citizens. The operation is part of a broader federal initiative to address concerns about non-citizen participation in US elections.
Legal experts noted that both fraudulent voter registration and making false statements in naturalisation applications are considered felonies under US law. Analysis showed that conviction on these charges could result in up to five years of imprisonment for each count.
“Today’s arrests prove what we have been saying,” stated First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, “California is mailing ballots to noncitizens, and they are refusing to comply with federal law, which makes it a crime for noncitizens to vote. The voting rights of American citizens must be protected.”
In the context of immigration, reporting indicated that such charges can jeopardise the naturalisation process for green card holders. The Department of Justice has clarified that even unintentional violations of election laws may result in denial of citizenship applications.
Before the latest arrests, details emerged that approximately 90 individuals had been charged in 2026 for various election-related offences, including 50 non-citizens accused of voting. The Justice Department continues to stress the need for strict adherence to federal election laws to maintain the integrity of the electoral process.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.