This week, big news from Arkansas! Attorney General Tim Griffin shared that his team has arrested three individuals who illegally cast votes in Arkansas elections despite not being citizens.
During a press conference, Griffin stated, “We have arrested three noncitizens who participated in our elections, despite lacking the legal right to vote.” He acknowledged that this alarming situation was triggered by information from federal officials, who found discrepancies in voting records related to citizenship.
The investigation saw collaboration from Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Homeland Security, leading to the recent arrests.
Among those arrested was 59-year-old Cecilia Castellanos from Rogers, originally from Cuba. She faces charges for perjury and a Class D felony after illegally voting, despite having a removal order that dates back 26 years and a record of three felony convictions in New York. On her voter registration, she misleadingly claimed U.S. citizenship, denying her past felony issues. According to Griffin’s office, Castellanos participated in the 2024 general election.
Another offender is 50-year-old Zlata Risley from Hot Springs Village, a lawful permanent resident from Kazakhstan who isn’t entitled to vote. She’s been charged with a Class D felony for contravening Arkansas election laws.
Finally, Chi Baum, a 59-year-old from Texarkana with Nigerian roots, also ran into legal trouble after voting illegally in the 2024 elections. Being a conditional permanent resident, she is not recognized as a U.S. citizen and faces charges for perjury based on inaccurate information on her voter registration.
What’s intriguing is the response from some circles, particularly the Democrats and their allies in media. They have long suggested that noncitizens either don’t vote or can’t because of stringent laws. Nonetheless, here we are with three accounts of noncitizens involved in voting, highlighting that the issue of illegal participation in elections shouldn’t be dismissed as a rare phenomenon.
This raises questions about the integrity of our electoral process—if there are incidents like this surfacing now, how many more are actually slipping through the cracks?
In conclusion, claims asserting that noncitizens can’t impact our elections seem less valid in light of ongoing findings like these. It’s crucial to take a closer look at who’s voting and ensuring the system’s integrity remains intact.
