Rare? Now An Iraqi Man Is Charged For Voting In U.S. Election

Oops, it happened again. Another non-citizen has been charged with voting in a federal election. The Department of Justice (DOJ) last week charged Akeel Abdul Jamiel, 45, with illegally voting in the 2020 election. Jamiel, a non-citizen from Iraq, voted in the November 2020 election in Saratoga County, New York, according to the DOJ.

The single page charging paper was filed by U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III in the Northern District of New York on April, 24. It simply reads, “Akeel Abdul Jamiel, an alien, fully knowing he was not a United States citizen, did knowingly vote in an election held in part for the purpose of electing a candidate for President, Vice President, and Member of the House of Representatives, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 611.” That is a “voting by aliens” charge which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

The DOJ said the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) assisted in the Jamiel investigation, but did provide further detail.

Democrats and their propaganda press partners continue to resist passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility” (SAVE) Act, which would prevent non-citizens from voting in federal elections, saying non-citizens never, or only rarely, vote in U.S. elections. But the examples of non-citizens voting like this are plentiful, and each one points to an obvious conclusion: Our elections are vulnerable to rigging.

Earlier this week, Elections Correspondent Logan Washburn reported that a Chinese student in Michigan allegedly voted in November’s election. Haoxiang Gao, a University of Michigan student, skipped court and a judge issued a bench warrant to arrest him.

The SAVE Act, which has passed a House vote, awaits action in the Senate. SAVE would require states to get proof of citizenship, in person, before registering an individual to vote for a federal election. Under SAVE, citizens seeking voter registration would provide a REAL ID, U.S. Passport, military identification, birth certificate, or other forms of identification proving citizenship.

“Here is yet another reason why New York State should require identification to vote,” U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. said in a statement. She voted in support of the SAVE Act earlier this month and says her state laws also need attention. “New York remains one of the few states without any form of voter identification requirement. That is unacceptable. Every legal voter—regardless of party—deserves to know their vote is protected and not canceled out by fraud or abuse. Democrats continue to undermine election integrity—not only by pushing noncitizen voting but by relentlessly opposing basic voter ID laws.”

The New York State Court of Appeals recently struck down a law that allowed more than 800,000 noncitizens to vote in New York City elections, Stefanik said.  

“This unconstitutional attempt to dilute the voice of American citizens was an egregious attack on our republic. Voting is a fundamental right reserved for citizens, as clearly outlined in our state constitution. I will continue to fight to safeguard our elections, protect the rights of lawful citizens, and demand accountability from those who try to compromise the security and integrity of our democratic process. It’s time for New York to act. We NEED voter ID now.”

Beth Brelje is an elections correspondent for The Federalist. She is an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of media experience.