Two Indian nationals are among 28 lawful permanent residents charged with alleged election-related offences in California, with US authorities accusing them of illegally registering as voters and participating in the November 2024 elections.
The US Department of Justice announced the charges on Monday as part of “Operation Protect the Vote,” a statewide crackdown aimed at investigating alleged electoral misconduct. Authorities said 11 of the 28 accused were arrested during early-morning raids. It remains unclear whether the two Indian nationals were among those detained.
The accused Indians have been identified as Amandeep Kaur, 30, and Kamlesh Shah, 67. According to the department, Shah, a Sacramento resident, allegedly registered to vote on the day of the November 2024 general election and cast his ballot the same day.
Kaur, who lives in Rancho Palos Verdes and is seeking US citizenship, allegedly registered as a voter in December 2022 and voted in the 2024 election.
The department clarified that all 28 individuals charged are green card holders. While lawful permanent residents can legally live and work in the United States, they are not US citizens and are ineligible to vote in federal elections.
The charges include making false statements in naturalisation applications, while some defendants also face allegations of fraudulent voter registration. Both offences are felonies that carry maximum prison sentences of up to five years.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said the defendants were identified on a list of more than 20,000 suspected noncitizen voter registrations that federal authorities had recently provided to California election officials.
The department said it had charged approximately 90 people with various forms of election misconduct during 2026 before Monday’s announcement. Of these, around 50 were accused of voting despite being noncitizens.
The allegations are part of a broader federal effort to investigate potential violations of US election laws.
