2 Indian Nationals Among 28 Green Card Holders Facing 5 Years in US Prison
In a sweeping federal crackdown on electoral integrity, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has brought felony criminal charges against 28 lawful permanent residents in California—including two Indian citizens—for allegedly registering illegally on voter rolls and casting unlawful ballots in federal elections. Unveiled under the federal task force initiative dubbed "Operation Protect the Vote," the legal action highlights strict federal prohibitions barring green card holders from participating in US electoral processes. Federal prosecutors confirmed that the two Indian nationals identified in the indictment are 30-year-old Amandeep Kaur of Rancho Palos Verdes and 67-year-old Kamlesh Shah of Sacramento, both of whom now face severe felony counts that carry statutory maximum penalties of up to five years in federal prison alongside potential immigration consequences.
Unlawful Ballots and Fraudulent Registrations: How the Alleged Violations Unfolded
Court filings released by federal prosecutors outline distinct timelines for how both Indian nationals allegedly bypassed voter eligibility safeguards to cast ballots in the November 2024 US general election despite lacking American citizenship. According to the Justice Department, 67-year-old Sacramento resident Kamlesh Shah fraudulently enrolled himself in California's voter registration system on Election Day itself in November 2024 and proceeded to cast a ballot that very same day. Concurrently, 30-year-old Amandeep Kaur, residing in the Los Angeles County community of Rancho Palos Verdes, was actively pursuing US naturalization when she fraudulently filed voter registration documents in December 2022, subsequently submitting an illegal ballot during the November 2024 elections. Under US federal election law, lawful permanent residents are granted legal authorization to reside and work in the country indefinitely, but exercising the franchise remains an exclusive constitutional right reserved strictly for naturalized or native-born United States citizens, making false declarations of citizenship on voter applications a serious federal offense.
Operation Protect the Vote: Dawn Raids and Scrutiny of 20,000 Flagged Names
The enforcement measures were carried out under "Operation Protect the Vote," a coordinated statewide law enforcement sweep designed to identify non-citizens participating in electoral registries. Federal agents executed early-morning raids across California, taking 11 of the 28 indicted foreign nationals into custody, though authorities have not yet confirmed whether Kaur or Shah were among those apprehended during the initial sweep. Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter stated that the 28 individuals facing federal charges were identified from a broader investigatory dossier of more than 20,000 suspected non-citizen registrations submitted to California election officials for verification. Each of the defendants faces formal felony counts of fraudulent voter registration and making false statements regarding citizenship status on federal and state documents, offenses punishable by up to five years in a federal penitentiary upon conviction, underscoring Washington's intensifying scrutiny over non-citizen voting ahead of upcoming electoral cycles.
