ImmigrationPolicy VoterFraud DOJ Investigation AlabamaElections IdentityTheft VoterIntegrity LegalNews VotingRights
The Department of Justice (DoJ) recently revealed that an illegal immigrant, Angelica Maria Francisco, residing in Alabama but originally from Guatemala, has agreed to plead guilty to several charges involving identity theft and illegal voting. According to a news release from the DoJ, Francisco faced charges of making false claims of citizenship for voting purposes, aggravated identity theft, submitting false statements to obtain a U.S. passport, and utilizing a fraudulently obtained U.S. passport. Francisco assumed the identity of a U.S. citizen in 2011, utilizing this false identity to obtain a passport, which she subsequently used for international travel between the U.S. and Guatemala. The indictment highlighted that Francisco had registered to vote in Alabama using the same fraudulent identity and participated in the primary and general elections in 2016 and 2020.
The DoJ stated that both the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service and Alabama state officials conducted investigations into Francisco’s case. Following her arrest, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen emphasized the state’s commitment to ensuring that only eligible American citizens participate in its elections. In a statement from his office, Allen reaffirmed his resolve to assist law enforcement in prosecuting individuals who engage in illegal voting activities to the maximum extent of the law. Despite the serious charges, it remains unclear whether Francisco has legal representation or how she initially stole the U.S. citizen’s identity. Court records indicate that she agreed to plead guilty to all nine counts she faced, underscoring the gravity of her actions.
This case arises amidst ongoing concerns about voter fraud, particularly involving illegal immigrants and noncitizens. These concerns have been a focal point for Republicans and former President Donald Trump since the 2020 election. Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation, largely along party lines, that would require voters to provide proof of citizenship for federal elections. However, the bill has faced opposition from the White House and has not progressed in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Additionally, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that over 1 million ineligible voters, including about 6,500 noncitizens, were removed from state voter rolls in the past three years. Among these, approximately 1,900 noncitizens with a voting history were referred to the Texas attorney general’s office for potential legal action.
While concerns about noncitizen voting persist, studies present a contrasting picture. The Brennan Center for Justice, a left-leaning policy group, noted that instances of noncitizen voting are extremely rare. Their analysis of the 2016 election revealed that suspected noncitizen votes accounted for only 0.0001 percent of the total votes cast, based on election officials’ reports overseeing 23.5 million votes. Conversely, a 2014 study published in Science Direct indicated that noncitizen voting likely influenced the 2008 Electoral College outcome and congressional composition, suggesting that about one-fourth of noncitizens in the United States might have been registered to vote at that time. These differing perspectives underscore the complexity and contentious nature of voter fraud issues within the broader discourse on voting rights and election integrity.
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