Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 16 Oct 2026
#Indian national arrested in US #Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari #ICE arrest #US immigration authorities #fake US citizenship
The arrested person was identified as Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari. Photo: US Homeland Security/website
US immigration authorities have arrested an Indian national for allegedly voting in the 2024 US general election after falsely claiming to be an American citizen, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.
The accused was identified as Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari.
“The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari, a non-citizen, for knowingly making a false claim of United States citizenship to vote in the 2024 general election,” the DHS said in a statement.
On September 10, a federal grand jury in the District of Minnesota returned a two-count indictment against Chaudhari, charging him with allegedly making a false claim of US citizenship.
According to the indictment, on or around November 5, 2024, Chaudhari signed a voter signature certificate required under Minnesota law to cast a ballot in the general election.
The certificate required voters to swear or affirm that they were citizens of the United States.
The indictment alleges that Chaudhari was not a US citizen and knowingly made the false declaration to vote in the election.
“Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences, including criminal charges and deportation,” US DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, this administration will never allow the votes of American citizens to be cancelled out by non-citizens illegally voting in our elections. Only American citizens should be electing American leaders,” he added.
“Voting is reserved for U.S. citizens, and falsely claiming citizenship to cast a ballot is a serious crime,” said Travis Pickard, HSI St. Paul special agent in charge.
“HSI has the experience and authority to investigate these cases, and we take that responsibility seriously. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of our election systems,” he added.
Chaudhari has been charged in the case, and the allegations have not yet been proven in court.