HSI Arrests Lawful Permanent Resident for Illegal Voting in Pennsylvania
Published Oct 13, 2026
ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia arrested Paulo Jorge Silva, a lawful permanent resident from Portugal, on October 5 on charges of illegally voting in the November 2024 election. Silva was transferred to U.S. Marshals Service custody and the case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Key points
- Silva is a lawful permanent resident from Portugal, admitted to the U.S. through New York in April 1978.
- Voting records show he was a registered voter in Philadelphia and voted in the November 5, 2024 election.
- He is charged with voting by an alien, a federal offense.
- After arrest, Silva was transferred to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated the department will continue pursuing noncitizens who vote illegally.
Who is affected
Lawful permanent residents and other noncitizens who have registered or voted in U.S. elections.
What to do
Noncitizens, including green card holders, should confirm they meet eligibility requirements before registering or voting, as only U.S. citizens may vote in federal elections.
Full text
The complete official text was archived on this site on 2026-10-13. It stays available here even if the source link changes or is removed.
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HSI Arrests Alien Charged with Illegally Voting in Pennsylvania
Release Date: October 13, 2026
WASHINGTON – The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested an alien who has been charged with illegally voting in the 2024 election in Pennsylvania.
On October 5, HSI Philadelphia arrested Paulo Jorge Silva, a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) from Portugal, in Philadelphia. Silva has been charged with voting by an alien after voting records show that he is an active registered voter in Philadelphia and voted in the November 5, 2024 election.
Paulo Jorge Silva (right) during his arrest by HSI Philadelphia
Silva was transferred to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).
“This alien from Portugal has been charged with illegally voting in the 2024 election in Pennsylvania,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “When even one non-citizen votes in our elections, it steals the vote of an honest, hard-working American citizen. It’s also AGAINST the law. If we catch an alien illegally voting in our elections, we will hunt you down and arrest you. You’ve been warned. The Trump Administration will always defend the integrity of our election system, and we will make sure that only American citizens are electing American leaders.”
Silva was lawfully admitted to the United States through New York in April 1978.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
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Election Security
Homeland Security Enterprise
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Keywords
Election Security
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Last Updated: 10/13/2026
Original title: HSI Arrests Alien Charged with Illegally Voting in Pennsylvania
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