Authorities announced on Tuesday that two Ukrainian nationals were taken into custody for illegally participating in the 2024 presidential election. This incident marks the first known legal action involving foreign nationals and election fraud since President Donald Trump's return to office.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in a collaborative effort with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and DOGE, carried out the arrests. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem publicized the arrests on social media platform X, stating: “In partnership with @DOGE, @ICEgov arrested two Ukrainian nationals for illegally VOTING in the 2024 election.” She emphasized the administration's stern policy towards election fraud, adding, “Under President Donald Trump, if you come to our country and break our laws, you will face the consequences.”
DOGE, initiated by an executive order on President Trump’s first day back in office on January 20, was initially established to curb government waste and reduce bureaucracy. However, the agency, co-founded by Trump and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, has since broadened its scope. It now wields influence across federal departments, with authority to end various government contracts and has recently supported immigration enforcement, as evidenced by the Tuesday arrests.
This incident underlines the evolution of DOGE's role from its original cost-cutting focus to a broader federal law enforcement and election security mandate. Election integrity is a key component of President Trump’s second-term agenda, and he has firmly committed to addressing foreign interference in U.S. elections.
The Trump administration has been critical of the previous Biden administration's approach to election security, alleging negligence of system vulnerabilities. Since January, President Trump has swiftly enacted policies on border security, government efficiency, and election integrity in line with his campaign promises.
A significant aspect of these policies includes heightened enforcement at the southern U.S. border, with around 139,000 deportations reported since January. Federal agents, sometimes with military support, have targeted sanctuary cities that resist cooperation with immigration authorities. Moreover, the administration has called upon the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to hasten deportations for cases tied to national security concerns.
However, details regarding the Ukrainian nationals’ voting methods and the affected jurisdictions remain undisclosed. These arrests may reignite the contentious debate over voter identification and election security measures, which have historically polarized lawmakers.
