DOJ Indicts 10 Minnesota Lawful Permanent Residents in Voter Fraud Push

Key points

• Ten lawful permanent residents from Liberia, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, Bosnia, Germany, Ghana, and Lithuania were indicted by a federal grand jury.
• Charges include nine counts of illegal voting by a non-citizen and nine counts of making false citizenship claims to vote.
• Attorney General Todd Blanche stated the DOJ has charged over 90 people with voter fraud offenses since President Trump took office in 2025.
• Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reported 1,600 active investigations into similar conduct nationwide.
• The Supreme Court recently ruled that the administration may use the SAVE database for voter-eligibility checks, though states are barred from systematic purges within 90 days of an election.

Background

This development follows a series of DOJ announcements in September 2026 regarding noncitizen voting. In late August, the first arrest in this crackdown involved a Honduran national in California. By late September, the DOJ had intensified its probe, designating voter fraud a top priority ahead of the November midterms. Earlier coverage noted that while federal officials report a surge in cases, independent analysis suggests these instances remain statistically negligible in the context of national election outcomes.

How outlets are covering it

Fox News and CBS News emphasize the DOJ's aggressive enforcement strategy, highlighting Attorney General Blanche's statements about restoring public trust and the potential prison sentences for defendants. They note the administration's frustration with media coverage of these cases. The Guardian, however, frames the indictments as part of a broader effort to support unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud, citing data that shows noncitizen voting is extremely rare (0.000008% of votes cast since 1982). The Guardian also notes that Mullin suggested voting machines were insecure without providing evidence. CBS News includes a statement from the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office, which called the indictments 'vanishingly rare' and noted that 3.2 million votes were cast in the 2024 general election. 5 Eyewitness News provided specific details on one defendant, Hester Sophia Weihmann, who is already facing state charges in Isanti County for knowingly voting as an ineligible voter.

Why it matters

The DOJ's voter fraud prosecutions are a key component of the Trump administration's election integrity agenda ahead of the 2026 midterms. The charges against lawful permanent residents, who are legally allowed to live in the U.S. but not vote, highlight the administration's focus on enforcing citizenship requirements for voting. The Supreme Court's recent ruling on the use of the SAVE database for voter-eligibility checks could have implications for future voter roll purges, although federal law currently restricts such actions close to elections. The case also underscores the tension between federal enforcement efforts and state-level election administration, as well as the broader debate over the prevalence and impact of noncitizen voting in U.S. elections.

What to watch

The ten defendants will face federal trials, with at least three having already pleaded not guilty. The DOJ is expected to continue its voter fraud investigations and prosecutions in the lead-up to the November 2026 midterms. The Supreme Court's ruling on the SAVE database may influence how states verify voter eligibility, although its immediate impact is limited by federal restrictions on voter roll purges. The judicial misconduct complaint filed by Blanche against Minnesota federal judges is likely to be investigated by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, with the judges potentially recusing themselves from cases involving the Department of Homeland Security.