ICE Arrests Indian Over Alleged Illegal Voting In Minnesota

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – Indian national Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari has been arrested by US immigration authorities on allegations that he falsely claimed to be an American citizen to vote in the 2024 general election in Minnesota.

The arrest, announced by the Department of Homeland Security on October 16, follows a federal indictment returned in Minnesota on September 10.

According to the indictment, Chaudhari signed a voter certificate on November 5, 2024, affirming that he was a US citizen. Prosecutors allege that he was not a citizen and knowingly made the false statement to cast his ballot.

Chaudhari faces two federal charges: providing false information in voting and falsely claiming US citizenship to register to vote or vote. Each charge carries a maximum prison sentence of five years if he is convicted.

Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is investigating the case with assistance from the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office. Trial attorneys Flavio Abreu and William Rubens of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting it.

The Department of Homeland Security said non-citizens who illegally vote in US elections can face criminal charges and deportation.