Italian Andrea Morzetta arrested by ICE in New Jersey over alleged illegal voting in four federal elections

Arrest and charges

Immigration and Customs Enforcement said on X on Tuesday, 3 November, the day of the US midterm elections, that it had arrested Andrea Morzetta, a 72-year-old Italian citizen, and accused him of illegal voting. The agency said he cast ballots in four federal elections, in 2014, 2016, 2020 and 2024, allegedly passing himself off as an American at polling stations.

According to the federal prosecutor's office in New Jersey, Morzetta holds a green card and entered the United States from Italy as the spouse of a foreign resident. In a 2025 naturalization application he allegedly stated that he had never registered to vote or voted in any federal, state or local election. He faces a second charge of attempting to obtain US citizenship illegally, and prosecutors say he gave false statements during the application.

The maximum penalty for illegal voting is one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. The attempt to obtain citizenship illegally carries up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Authorities also say he risks losing the status that allows him to live legally in the country.

How the case unfolded

Morzetta first appeared before judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark on 29 October, the same day federal prosecutors in New Jersey made the detention public. Reports describe him as accused, not convicted, and the charges have not yet been tested in court.

The Justice Department listed his case on 2 November among charges against 63 people for electoral offences. ICE then chose to publicise the arrest on the day of the vote, when the first results of the midterms were being counted.

A wider wave of charges

The Justice Department said that over the previous nine weeks 195 foreign nationals had been charged in 25 states with illegal voting or illegal registration. Attorney General Todd Blanche described it as the largest wave of electoral fraud arrests since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Il Giornale counted at least seven foreigners accused in the cases it reviewed.

Among them is Antonio Mitchell, 54, accused by the US attorney's office for New Jersey of voting as a non-citizen in a federal election and of attempting to obtain citizenship illegally. Prosecutors allege he registered to vote in 2012 and cast a ballot in person in the 2022 general election. Rosanny Fabre Villa, 28, of Reading, Pennsylvania, a Dominican Republic citizen and legal permanent resident, was charged with making a false citizenship statement in order to vote. Gavin Moir, 55, of Atglen, Pennsylvania, a Canadian citizen, faces four counts of illegal voting by a foreigner. A Finnish national was also detained in Philadelphia on similar grounds.

Election day warning

ICE used its post to warn that anyone voting illegally would be found, tracked down, arrested and prosecuted. The midterms renew all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats, along with several governorships and state and local offices. The central contest is control of Congress. Democrats are seeking a majority in both chambers, while Republicans are trying to keep theirs so that Trump can run the second half of his term with support from Parliament.