The United States Department of Justice has charged two Nigerian nationals and 61 other foreign nationals with alleged illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration and making false claims of American citizenship in connection with federal elections.
The charges, involving 63 individuals across different parts of the United States, are part of an intensified crackdown on alleged electoral offences under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The two Nigerians were identified as Mohammed Omar Hassan, 61, and Michael Agah, 74, both lawful permanent residents of the United States. 
According to a statement published on the Department of Justice website, the two men allegedly participated in federal elections despite not being American citizens, with one of them also accused of falsely claiming US citizenship to obtain voting privileges.
Hassan allegedly voted in 2022, 2024 elections
The department disclosed that Hassan was charged in the Southern District of Texas with voting by a non-US citizen.
The 61-year-old Nigerian allegedly participated in the 2022 and 2024 elections despite being a lawful permanent resident rather than an American citizen.
The charge against him relates to the prohibition of non-US citizens participating in federal elections, except where specifically authorised by law.
Agah accused of falsely claiming US citizenship
Agah, on the other hand, was charged in the Western District of North Carolina with voting by a non-US citizen and making a false claim to American citizenship to participate in an election.
According to the Justice Department, the 74-year-old allegedly falsely declared himself an American citizen on an Authorization to Vote Form.
He subsequently voted in a federal election on November 5, 2024.
The department said the allegations against Agah involved both unlawful voting and misrepresentation of his citizenship status in connection with the electoral process.
DOJ announces largest surge in voter-fraud arrests
The latest charges come amid an intensified campaign against alleged election-related offences under the Trump administration.
Attorney General Todd Blanche described the development as the largest surge of voter-fraud arrests since President Trump returned to office.
“Today’s announcement marks the largest surge of voter-fraud arrests since President Trump returned to office,” Blanche said.
He accused the defendants of taking advantage of the trust of the American people and violating laws governing the country’s electoral system.
Blanche added that the Department of Justice would continue investigating and prosecuting voter fraud to restore public confidence in the American electoral process.
195 non-citizens charged in nine weeks
The Justice Department disclosed that it had charged 195 non-US citizens across 25 states with illegal voting and registration offences in the preceding nine weeks.
The latest development brings the total number of individuals charged with voting fraud-related offences since the beginning of the Trump administration to 239.
The alleged offences include voting by non-US citizens in federal elections, falsely claiming American citizenship to register or vote, and submitting fraudulent voter registration applications.
The department said the cases were being prosecuted across several federal judicial districts, including Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Other foreign nationals from countries including Mexico, Jamaica, Canada, the Philippines, India, Colombia and the United Kingdom were also among those charged.
Three Nigerians faced similar charges in September
The latest development comes less than two months after the Justice Department announced charges against three other Nigerians and 13 foreign nationals over alleged election-related offences.
The Nigerians were identified as Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56; Helen Sayen Adams, 67; and Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom, 27.
Okafor and Adams were accused of falsely claiming American citizenship to register and participate in elections, while Akpom was charged with making false statements in connection with his naturalisation application.
The September cases involved allegations of illegal voting, unlawful voter registration, false claims of citizenship and other election-related offences.
The latest charges further highlight the scrutiny of non-citizens’ participation in the American electoral process as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to prosecute alleged voting irregularities.
Defendants presumed innocent
Despite the charges, the Justice Department clarified that complaints, indictments and criminal informations contain allegations and do not constitute proof of guilt.
It stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The cases will therefore be determined by the relevant courts based on the evidence presented by prosecutors and the applicable provisions of American law.
