“[Announcing the indictments:] We have talked repeatedly about the importance of election integrity. … Voter fraud erodes the public's trust in our electoral system, and it's vital to our democratic process that we do everything that we can to restore that trust.
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Todd Blanche Charges 10 Noncitizens With Voting in Minnesota — Out of About 8.5 Million Votes Cast — and in the Same Announcement Files a Misconduct Complaint Against Nearly Every Federal Judge in the State for Talking to the New York Times, Citing "an Obvious Bias Against the Department of Homeland Security"; Keith Ellison Calls It "a Desperate and Dangerous Attack on American Judicial Independence"
September 30, 2026
On Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced federal indictments of 10 lawful permanent residents and other noncitizens — from Liberia, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, Bosnia, Germany, Ghana and Lithuania — accused of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to register and vote in Minnesota elections from 2022 through the August 2026 primary, a period in which roughly 8.5 million Minnesota votes were cast. The Justice Department says it has charged more than 90 people with voting-related fraud during Trump's second term. At the same event, the Justice Department filed a judicial misconduct complaint with the 8th Circuit against all but one of Minnesota's federal district judges, including Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz and Judge John Tunheim, over their comments to the New York Times about the federal immigration surge in the state (Operation Metro Surge), and asked that they recuse themselves from all cases involving the Department of Homeland Security. Schiltz has said he acted "well within the ethical rules."
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“This is a desperate and dangerous attack on American judicial independence. … The complaint is a direct attempt by the Trump administration to intimidate judges who have ruled against them in the past. … An independent judiciary, free from political influence, coercion, or threats is an important bulwark against tyranny. … Attacks on judicial independence are attacks on the rule of law, our democracy, and the people who safeguard it.
“[On the misconduct complaint against Minnesota's federal judges:] There's an obvious bias against the Department of Homeland Security and immigration authorities in Minnesota. … When we have a situation like we have now, where you have a judge, a couple of judges, just not only violating the canons in our view, but also showing bias in what they're saying, we have no choice but to act to defend not only our prosecutors, but also DHS.
“[Statement from his office:] Only United States citizens are eligible to vote in Minnesota elections. … These indictments affirm the fact that noncitizen voting is a vanishingly rare crime.
“We're just getting started. … If you voted in our elections and you weren't legally able to vote, we're going to find you. … We want every vote to be counted and be counted accurately.