US arrests over 2 dozen in California sweep targeting alleged non-citizen voters

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 US 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. They are charged with crimes including making false statements on a naturalisation application and submitting fraudulent voter registrations.“Election integrity is really important to this administration. It should be important to every American,” Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, told reporters.“The right to vote is critical. It’s the foundation of our system of government. And if we have non-citizens voting, it dilutes the votes of American citizens,” he said.The federal government has made non-citizen voting a priority this year, demanding detailed voter information – including dates of birth, addresses, driving licence numbers and partial Social Security numbers – from the states. While some states voluntarily handed over the information, the department sued 30 states and the District of Columbia to obtain it – lawsuits that so far have been unsuccessful.