In a significant achievement for DOGE, the agency collaborated with ICE and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida to apprehend two Ukrainian women residing in Florida who illegally voted in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, resulting in federal charges against both individuals.
To provide context, as reported by the press, a mother and daughter from Ukraine, who were living in the United States, were arrested on April 29, 2025, after being charged with voting in the 2024 presidential election while on nonimmigrant visas. The two women were identified as 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 conducted the investigation with assistance 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, issued 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 further stated, “Svitlana and Yelyzaveta registered to vote in federal elections using a system that necessitates certification of United States citizenship, which neither of them possessed.
Furthermore, the press release verified that on October 31, 2024, the two individuals cast their votes prior to obtaining United States citizenship, which ultimately resulted in their arrest. A spokesperson stated, “Still lacking United States citizenship, Svitlana and Yelyzaveta participated in the federal 2024 General Election from Palm Beach, which encompassed the election of a United States President.”
Subsequent to the arrests, Secretary Kristi Noem expressed her views on X, stating, “In collaboration with @DOGE, @ICEgov apprehended two Ukrainian nationals for unlawfully VOTING in the 2024 election.” Noem further remarked, “Under President Donald Trump, if you enter our country and violate our laws, you will face the repercussions.”
In reaction to Noem’s post on X, conservative users voiced their indignation regarding the ability of the two Ukrainians to vote, with user Matt Van Swol commenting, “My goodness…how were they able to vote without citizenship and a form of ID? In which STATE did they cast their votes????” Another user remarked, “Incredible, that situation which Democrats assert never occurs, has happened. Once more.
The apprehension of the Ukrainian mother and daughter took place soon after DOGE revealed a significant level of fraud within the record system of the U.S. Social Security Administration, which included the purported allocation of benefits to individuals who had passed away. In the wake of this discovery, DOGE received commendations online from conservatives such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who expressed on X that the agency’s initiatives were “remarkable,” further stating, “Eliminating 11 million deceased individuals from Social Security prevents a tremendous amount of fraud.”
