Before dawn last Monday, Amandeep Kaur turned herself in to federal authorities in downtown Los Angeles. Wrapped in a tasseled shawl, she waited outside the courthouse until two plainclothes agents served her arrest warrant and escorted her to an unmarked vehicle. She was searched, fingerprinted and taken into custody before appearing before a judge that afternoon.
Kaur, 30, is from India and lives in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, with her husband, two young children and in-laws. She speaks little English and is a lawful permanent resident of the United States.
According to court documents, the government alleges that Kaur registered to vote in 2022 and voted in the 2024 election despite not being a U.S. citizen. Prosecutors also accuse her of making false statements about that history on her naturalization application.
As of Friday, Kaur was one of more than 220 people charged across 28 states in connection with voting violations during President Trump’s second term. The cases form part of a monthslong administration effort to identify, arrest and publicize alleged voter fraud.
The campaign has left immigrants facing an unsettling legal process. Some have been taken from their homes by federal agents, while others were ordered to surrender. Several have appeared before judges in shackles, and some have spent days in custody. At least one man remains jailed in Texas.
The cases have also exposed immigrants who were seeking U.S. citizenship to public accusations of criminality, with their names and photographs circulating online. The administration’s actions have fueled concern among immigrant communities that allegations tied to voting could result in imprisonment or deportation.
Sources: The New York Times Politics.