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An illegal immigrant who used a stolen identity to obtain a U.S. passport and register to vote in American elections has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Angelica Maria Francisco, a 42-year-old Guatemalan, had been living under the stolen identity of a U.S. citizen since at least 2011. She registered to vote in 2016 and cast ballots in the primary and general elections that year, as well as in the 2020 election.
She also used the stolen identity to acquire a passport in 2011 and renew it in 2021, enabling her to travel to Guatemala at least four times between 2012 and 2022.
“This sentence sends a clear message that any attempts by non-U.S. citizens to vote in the Northern District of Alabama are unacceptable and will result in serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona, who led the prosecution, on Thursday.
In court documents, Francisco admitted she used an American woman’s name, Social Security card, and birth certificate to assume her identity.
Her lawyer, Lucas Snodgrass, pleaded for leniency, noting that Francisco was “brought to this country as a young child” and has lived in the U.S. ever since.
“She has lived in this community and is a mother of six children, including two young children,” Snodgrass wrote in a filing, requesting house arrest so she could care for her family. He also described Francisco as a remorseful, first-time, nonviolent offender whose actions were an “isolated lapse in judgment rather than a pattern of criminal behavior.”
Francisco’s case highlights the ongoing debate about noncitizen voting, which some voting-rights groups claim is largely a myth. However, her case is unusual because she is an illegal immigrant.
The Washington Times has reported that most noncitizen voting cases involve legal visa holders or permanent residents who register and occasionally vote. Many of these individuals say they were prompted to register by government officials during interactions like obtaining a driver’s license.
