A lawful permanent resident from Australia has been arrested and charged with illegally voting in U.S. federal elections. Denise Nataly Migliore, 51, faces federal charges for allegedly making false statements to register to vote and casting ballots in elections held in October 2022 and November 2022, and October 2024 and November 2024.
Migliore is accused of knowingly making false claims about her U.S. citizenship to register to vote and falsely certifying her citizenship when casting her ballots. As a non-U.S. citizen, she was ineligible to vote in federal elections.
Homeland Security Investigations arrested Migliore on July 1 in New Orleans following an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A Department of Homeland Security official stated that the arrest serves as a warning to non-citizens who vote in American elections, emphasizing that they will be found, arrested, and face criminal charges and deportation.
If convicted, Migliore could face a maximum of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee.
The charges come amid heightened scrutiny of election integrity. Separately, FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly initiated efforts to address illegal voting, following news of four non-citizens being charged in New Jersey for casting federal ballots. This situation has also drawn criticism of New York Governor Kathy Hochul's backing of anti-ICE proposals, which some critics argue could impede federal law enforcement cooperation. Migliore's case underscores the federal government's stance on prosecuting non-citizens who vote illegally.