Recently, a Guatemalan illegal immigrant has been accused of participating in federal elections in Indiana.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that Helda Araceli Mendez-Merida was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Indianapolis on September 3.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated, “ICE patriots have arrested this illegal immigrant from Guatemala who had previously voted illegally in elections.”
He emphasized, “Every ballot cast by a non-citizen is equivalent to stealing a ballot from a U.S. citizen.” He also announced, “This illegal immigrant will be deported, and she will never be able to poison our elections again.”
It is currently unclear how many elections Mendez-Merida participated in voting. According to DHS, she illegally entered the U.S. through Arizona in September 2015 during the Obama administration, was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol, released, and received a final deportation order from an immigration judge in September 2019.
Patricia Hyde, Acting Assistant Director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, said, “Voting rights are the cornerstone of American democracy, and Helda Araceli Mendez-Merida attempted to subvert national elections through illegal voting.”
She vowed, “In American elections, voting is a unique privilege of American citizens, and we cannot allow this sacred right to be abused by foreign citizens attempting to undermine American democracy.”
Earlier, on September 10, DHS confirmed that Mariana Alexandra Dewey, a citizen of Peru, was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, charged with illegally voting during the U.S. presidential election on November 5, 2024 in Sedgwick County.
According to the Immigration and Nationality Act, foreigners who vote in U.S. elections should be deported.
On June 8, DHS General Counsel James Percival instructed ICE to impose stricter penalties on illegal immigrants who vote, including deportation.
Secretary Mullin stated on June 14 that if there are “threats” during the midterm elections, ICE will be deployed to polling stations.
(Reference: Fox News)