In another major victory for DOGE, the agency partnered with ICE and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida to arrest two Ukrainian women living in Florida who unlawfully voted in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, leading to federal charges against both of them.

For context, according to press accounts, a mother and daughter from Ukraine, who were living in the United States, were arrested on April 29, 2025, after they were charged for voting in the 2024 presidential election on nonimmigrant visas. The two women were Svitlana Demydenko (Svitlana), 53, and her daughter, Yelyzaveta Demydenko (Yelyzaveta), 22.

Following the arrest of the mother and daughter, a press release confirmed that the HSI Miami Field Division and the FDLE Office of Executive Investigations, Election Crime Unit investigated the case with help from the Department of Government Efficiency, the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John McMillan.

The press release, which was published by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, clarified that the two women “entered the United States in April 2021 on nonimmigrant visas.” A spokesperson added, “Svitlana and Yelyzaveta registered to vote in federal elections using a system that requires certification of United States citizenship, which neither of them had.”

In addition, the press release confirmed that on October 31, 2024, the two voted prior to being granted United States citizenship, which eventually led to their arrest. A spokesperson explained, “Still without United States citizenship, Svitlana and Yelyzaveta voted from Palm Beach in the federal 2024 General Election, which included election of a United States President.”

Following the arrests, Secretary Kristi Noem weighed in on X, writing, “In partnership with @DOGE, @ICEgov arrested two Ukrainian nationals for illegally VOTING in the 2024 election.” Noem then added, “Under President Donald Trump, if you come to our country and break our laws, you will face the consequences.”

In response to Noem’s post on X, conservatives expressed their outrage at the fact that the two Ukrainians were able to vote, with user Matt Van Swol writing, “My gosh…how did they vote without citizenship and a form of ID? In what STATE did they vote????” Another user commented, “Wow, that thing that Democrats claim never happens, happened. Again.”

The arrest of the Ukrainian mother and daughter occurred shortly after DOGE uncovered a massive amount of fraud within the U.S. Social Security Administration’s record system, including the alleged distribution of benefits to deceased individuals. Following this revelation, DOGE was praised online by conservatives like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who wrote on X that the agency’s efforts were “amazing,” adding, “Removing 11 million dead people off Social Security stops an incredible amount of fraud.”

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