The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has announced the arrest of dozens of foreign nationals in a nationwide crackdown on alleged voter fraud that aims to “end this madness.”
In a press release published in advance of the US midterm elections, the agency stated that the operation was initiated to stop unlawful voting, noting that the security of American elections is “paramount” to the nation’s stability.
The federal law enforcement organisation outlined 19 specific ongoing cases involving individuals from countries including Mexico, Germany, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo who are accused of casting illegal ballots.
ICE Public Affairs Assistant Director Micah Bock expressed serious concerns about the frequency of the alleged offences, arguing that the issue requires strict legal consequences.
“The pervasive nature of illegal alien election fraud should concern every American,” Bock said.
“Every illegal vote cancels out a vote of an American citizen. Each and every illegal who voted must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We will end this madness. American elections are for American citizens, period.”
Among those detained in October was Jose Diaz Guandique, a Salvadoran citizen who was unlawfully present in the country and is accused of voting in the 2024 election.
Another individual, Mexican citizen Alberto Ruiz Ruiz, was also apprehended in October after allegedly entering the country at an unknown time and unlawfully casting a ballot in 2024.
The agency highlighted several cases involving lawful permanent residents, such as Lithuanian citizen Edvile Edmunds, who surrendered to Homeland Security Investigations agents in August.
According to voter information provided by the Minnesota Secretary of State, Edmunds cast a ballot in person during the 2022 state general elections, an act she initially denied before later admitting to the offence.
German citizen Paul Kras was similarly arrested in September for allegedly voting unlawfully in federal elections in both November 2020 and November 2024.
Other individuals named in the report have prior criminal convictions, including Joas Habimana from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Habimana, who holds lawful permanent status, has a criminal record that includes aggravated assault and unarmed robbery, and he is now accused of voting unlawfully in 2024.
Similarly, Haitian citizen Sirena Prosper is facing a final order of removal after being convicted of burglary and larceny, and she is also alleged to have voted in the 2024 election.
Guatemalan citizen Jose Gilberto Tejada-Mendez, who has a final order of removal, admitted to unlawfully crossing the border and was cited for voting illegally in 2026.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, commonly known as ICE, is a federal law enforcement body responsible for investigating cross-border crime and managing illegal immigration.
The organisation frequently conducts operations across the country to identify and deport individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States or who have violated the terms of their residency.