U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested five non-citizens in Florida who are charged with “voting by an alien,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement released on October 26. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida announced the arrests, which took place on October 21 and 22, DHS said. All five suspects are lawful permanent residents — green-card holders, who may live and work in the United States permanently but, unlike citizens, may not vote in federal elections.
Source: US Department of Homeland Security
Independent legal-news reporting by JureList, summarising the same federal announcements, confirmed the five arrests, the October 21–22 dates and the charges. The five are charged — an accusation prosecutors must prove in court — and none has been convicted in these cases.
Source: JureList
According to DHS, Diane Wendy Curley, a permanent resident from Canada, was arrested on October 21 and charged with voting in 2022 and 2024. Luis Manuel Perez, a permanent resident from Cuba, was also arrested on October 21 and charged with voting in 2022 and 2024. Pedro Igor Almeida Franco, a permanent resident from Brazil, was arrested on October 21 and charged with voting in 2024.
Jaimie Orlando Sosa Sardina, a permanent resident from Cuba, was arrested on October 22 and charged with registering to vote in 2022 and voting in 2022 and 2024, DHS said. Lise Marie Johnson, a permanent resident from Canada, was arrested on October 22 and charged with registering to vote in 2021 and voting in 2022. DHS said several of the suspects have prior criminal histories, which it listed in its statement; those histories are part of the government's account and the new voting charges remain allegations until a court decides them.
“Thanks to the great work of the patriots at HSI, as well as our state and local partners, five more non-citizens have been arrested and charged for illegally voting in past elections,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in the statement. “Every time a non-citizen votes, it steals the vote of a hard-working American citizen.” DHS said the Florida arrests are part of a wider administration drive on non-citizen voting, and that in June it directed ICE to enforce stricter penalties for non-citizens who vote illegally, including deportation.
For the many Punjabi and other immigrant families in Florida and across the US who hold green cards, the case is a reminder of a bright legal line: permanent residence does not include the vote, and registering or voting as a non-citizen can bring federal charges and immigration consequences. Anyone unsure of their status should check with an immigration lawyer before registering.