The Justice Department detailed charges in five states for voting or registering to vote. California has 28 cases, and 47 of the defendants are lawful permanent residents.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday, October 26, 2026, charges against 48 noncitizens for election-related crimes, including voting or registering to vote. Four of those charged are Cuban nationals, according to the official statement.
The figure began circulating on X during the morning. One user posted that there were four Cubans among the 48 defendants, and the figure matches what the Justice Department's statement says. Defendants are presumed innocent until a court proves their guilt.
What the Statement Says
The cases are spread across 10 federal districts in five states: Pennsylvania, California, Florida, New York, and Nevada. The statement describes 47 of the defendants as lawful permanent residents, that is, green card holders. The other, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, is described as a person without legal status originally from Cuba.
California accounts for the majority. According to the statement, there are 13 defendants in the Central District of California, 6 in the Eastern District, 5 in the Northern District, and 4 in the Southern District, for 28 in total. The rest are distributed as follows: 4 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 5 in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 6 in the Middle District of Florida, 4 in New York, and 1 in Nevada.
The four Cubans
Two of the Cuban defendants are in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and two in the Middle District of Florida. In Pennsylvania, one is a lawful permanent resident and the other is described as having no legal status. Both in Florida are lawful permanent residents.
The defendants are from more than a dozen countries. Latin American defendants include people from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Belize, Ecuador, Guyana, Jamaica, and Brazil, according to the district-by-district list in the statement.
What they are charged with
Charges vary by district. In several cases the charge is voting as a noncitizen in a federal election, which the statement describes as a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison. In others, the charges are more serious and include falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to vote and making false statements under oath in naturalization proceedings.
In Florida, three people were charged by indictment with falsely claiming to be citizens to vote and with voting as noncitizens, and three others by information with voting as noncitizens.
What Is Not Known Yet
The statement includes no remarks from officials and gives no hearing dates. A charge is not a conviction: each case will proceed before a federal judge.
What does it mean to you?
- The statement treats voting in a federal election as a noncitizen as a crime. If you have questions about your situation, consult an immigration attorney or an accredited organization before registering.
- Among the charges is falsely claiming to be a citizen when registering or voting. Review registration forms carefully before signing them.
- If you receive a subpoena or a letter from a prosecutor's office, seek legal advice before responding.
- The full press release is on the website of the Department of Justice.
Editor's note: Some information in this article could not be confirmed with official sources at the time of publication; it comes from reports by other media outlets or from the individuals quoted. We will update the article if the information changes.
