WASHINGTON — September 30, 2026: A federal grand jury in Minneapolis indicted 10 lawful permanent residents on charges alleging they illegally registered or voted in Minnesota elections, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
The indictments were returned separately on September 24. The allegations cover the November 2022 and 2024 general elections and Minnesota’s August 2026 primary. All 10 defendants have made initial appearances in federal court, according to the department.
An indictment is an accusation, not a finding of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
What prosecutors allege
The Justice Department says the defendants are lawful permanent residents who are not U.S. citizens. Depending on the case, prosecutors charged them with voting by an alien, making a false claim of U.S. citizenship to register or vote, or both.
MPR News reported that seven defendants are accused of voting in the 2024 presidential election. The oldest allegation concerns a vote in November 2022, while the most recent involves Minnesota’s August 11, 2026 primary.
The 10 defendants range in age from 43 to 78, according to MPR. They include people originally from Brazil, Canada, Germany, Ghana, Liberia, Lithuania, South Africa and Bosnia. Their permanent-resident status allows them to live and work in the United States but does not make them eligible to vote in federal elections.
Cases announced together but charged separately
The Justice Department’s announcement groups the cases under a single enforcement action, but each defendant was indicted separately. That means the evidence, charges and eventual court proceedings must be evaluated individually.
Federal prosecutors provided different allegation dates and counts for each case. For example, one defendant is accused of voting in Minnesota’s 2022 election, while another allegedly voted in the August 2026 primary and falsely claimed citizenship on two dates.
No court has yet ruled on the truth of those allegations. The announcement also does not establish a coordinated scheme among the defendants.
Officials frame the cases as election enforcement
Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the charges with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen. Blanche said the department viewed enforcement of citizenship requirements as necessary to public confidence in elections.
That policy argument is separate from the factual question in each criminal case. Prosecutors will have to prove the required elements beyond a reasonable doubt, including the conduct and intent alleged in each indictment.
What the announcement does and does not show
The cases concern 10 named defendants and specific alleged acts. They do not by themselves measure the overall rate of noncitizen voting in Minnesota, determine the outcome of an election or establish widespread fraud.
The Justice Department said one alleged illegal vote occurred as recently as the August primary. MPR’s independent account confirmed the defendants’ lawful-permanent-resident status and the election dates described by prosecutors.
Future developments could include arraignments, motions challenging the indictments, plea agreements or trials. Any later court outcome should be reported separately from the government’s current allegations.
For more verified federal enforcement coverage, visit Crime & Courts and Politics. AskNovus recently reported separately on Treasury sanctions tied to an alleged ATM-malware network.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Justice, September 30, 2026: indictments and case allegations
- MPR News, September 30, 2026: independent Minnesota reporting
- Fox News, September 30, 2026: announcement and defendant details
Featured image: Javier Quiroga/Unsplash. Illustrative photograph.