The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), also known as the Immigration Bureau, announced on Thursday (January 15) that two Pakistani citizens have been indicted for illegally participating in federal elections and making false statements when applying for U.S. citizenship.
The indictment revealed that 37-year-old Muhammad Muzammal and 62-year-old Muhammad Shakeel were not U.S. citizens when they registered to vote in New Jersey but made false statements on the registration forms, claiming to be U.S. citizens. Both individuals then voted in the November 2020 election, including for the U.S. President and Vice President, after their registration applications were approved.
Under U.S. law, only U.S. citizens have the right to register to vote and participate in federal elections.
The indictment further stated that after illegally voting in the federal elections, Muzammal and Shakeel separately submitted N-400 naturalization application forms to the USCIS to become U.S. citizens.
The N-400 form requires applicants to swear and assure that the information provided in the application is complete, truthful, and accurate, or face legal consequences for perjury. Both individuals falsely claimed on the N-400 form that they had never registered to vote or participated in any federal, state, or local elections.
Following the submission of the N-400 forms, USCIS officials interviewed both individuals, requiring them to swear and verify the answers provided in the application form. Once again, both individuals falsely stated to officials that they had never participated in any federal, state, or local elections.
The charges and statements listed in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, they could face up to ten years in prison.
The USCIS provided crucial evidence for the indictment. The U.S. Attorney’s Office commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the USCIS.