DEARBORN, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has spent years insisting non-citizen voting is extremely rare and Michigan’s elections are secure. But a new report from The Gateway Pundit is throwing gasoline on that debate after reviewing DHS records tied to criminal non-citizens who allegedly ended up on Michigan voter rolls – with some casting ballots in multiple elections.
According to the report, six criminal non-citizens listed in DHS “worst of the worst” databases were registered to vote in Michigan, and at least two allegedly cast ballots. The individuals reportedly had criminal histories involving stalking, assault, weapons offenses, drug crimes, and sexual assault convictions, raising concerns about how non-citizens with serious records ended up on the state’s voter rolls.
Convicted rapist allegedly voted in multiple federal elections.
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One of the most explosive cases involves Afshin Masheli, an Iranian green card holder who lived in Dearborn. He has one of the most extensive criminal histories on the list. Court records show convictions tied to first-degree criminal sexual conduct, third-degree criminal sexual conduct, and earlier retail fraud charges. Immigration courts ordered him removed years ago, but Iran’s refusal to cooperate with deportations delayed the process. In fact, in January 2026, a federal judge ordered Masheli released from ICE detention after ruling that his deportation to Iran was not reasonably foreseeable because Iran has repeatedly refused to accept deportees in cases like his.
Masheli wasn’t just registered to vote – records show he voted in at least three federal elections after registering in 2013. According to the report, which contained information from Check My Vote/QVF (Qualified Voter File) data, he voted in person in 2016, by absentee ballot in 2020, and again in the 2024 general election despite being a non-citizen.
Another case involved Indra Gurung, a Bhutanese national with convictions involving stalking, aggravated stalking, domestic violence, and OWI offenses. The report says Gurung allegedly voted after registering in 2017. Other individuals highlighted in the report were allegedly deported but still appeared on Michigan voter rolls as ACTIVE registered voters.
Critics question gaps in Michigan’s voter system.
Critics argue the issue is no longer just about a handful of what Democrats call “isolated” incidents. Instead, they say it raises larger questions about whether Michigan’s election system is capable of identifying non-citizens before ballots are cast – or if they’re even trying to.
Under current Michigan law, voters sign paperwork affirming under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens, but documentary proof of citizenship is not required during registration. Supporters of the federal SAVE Act argue cases like these are exactly why proof-of-citizenship requirements should be added nationwide for federal elections.
Benson faces growing political scrutiny.
The controversy also revives memories of the Chinese national who admitted to illegally voting in Michigan while attending the University of Michigan in 2024, a case that intensified scrutiny over Michigan’s voter registration system.
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Benson has also faced criticism from election integrity advocates over her resistance to expanded federal involvement in Michigan election oversight while simultaneously running for governor in 2026. Recently, Benson promised a strong “firewall” between politics and election administration to clear up any potential conflicts of interest in the upcoming election. But how secure that firewall really is – and how secure the state’s elections are – may become an even bigger political question as more election controversies continue surfacing.
Whether these cases turn out to be a tiny fraction of overall votes or the tip of a much larger iceberg as investigations continue, they leave Michigan voters with an uncomfortable question: if a third party armed with a computer and access to government databases can allegedly identify non-citizens with deportation orders and felony records on the voter rolls, why can’t the secretary of state do the same? Or maybe the better question is: why doesn’t she want the DOJ looking into it either? At some point, “nothing to see here” starts sounding less like reassurance and more like a political smoke machine.
