Six people holding lawful permanent resident status and one Mexican national subject to a removal order from the US have been formally charged with unlawfully participating in federal elections, attempting to participate in federal elections, or making false representations regarding U.S. citizenship, according to an announcement made by federal prosecutors in Texas on Tuesday.
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These charges emerge as the Trump administration broadens its emphasis on election integrity and the prevention of noncitizen voting in preparation for the 2026 midterm elections. Administration officials contend that heightened enforcement measures are essential to protect electoral processes, whereas voting rights advocates and election specialists have consistently argued that verified instances of noncitizen voting remain uncommon; the Heritage Foundation's election-fraud database documented merely 24 cases of noncitizen voting between 2003 and 2023, as confirmed by a Reuters examination.
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The United States Attorney's Office representing the Northern District of Texas announced that six defendants received indictments on September 10, with an additional defendant facing charges through criminal complaint on September 11. According to law enforcement officials, all seven defendants had either been apprehended or voluntarily surrendered to authorities by the conclusion of Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}The United States Attorney's Office representing the Northern District of Texas announced that six defendants received indictments on September 10, with an additional defendant facing charges through criminal complaint on September 11. According to law enforcement officials, all seven defendants had either been apprehended or voluntarily surrendered to authorities by the conclusion of Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}The Department of Justice (DOJ) has identified the defendants as comprising six permanent residents holding green cards originating from Nigeria, Mexico, India, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in addition to one Mexican citizen previously subject to a removal order from the US. According to prosecutorial allegations, the matters pertain to participation in voting during the 2018 or 2024 electoral cycles, efforts to cast votes via provisional ballot mechanisms, or submission of false declarations concerning citizenship status on official government documentation.
Who is Khalwinder Singh Bhengura?
Khalwinder Singh Bhengura, a 69-year-old Indian national and lawful permanent resident since 2022, faces charges of unlawful voting by a non-citizen in a federal election and making false statements regarding citizenship status for voter registration purposes, the Department of Justice said.
In January 2024, Bhengura made fraudulent claims of U.S. citizenship during voter registration and subsequently repeated this misrepresentation when obtaining a Texas driver license in August 2024. He participated in the November 2024 general election and subsequently acknowledged his awareness that he did not possess U.S. citizenship. His arrest occurred on September 11.
What's next?
The defendants shall now advance through the federal criminal justice system, commencing with arraignment and associated pretrial proceedings. The six people indicted on September 10 shall present their cases in U.S. District Court, whereas the seventh defendant, charged via criminal complaint on September 11, shall proceed through the complaint and formal charging procedures.
The Department of Justice has not yet disclosed trial dates. Should conviction occur, the alleged offenses of voting as a non-citizen carry a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment per count, whereas knowingly submitting a false assertion of United States citizenship for voter registration or voting purposes may result in imprisonment of up to five years per count.