An investigation by the Alaska Beacon found that a longstanding administrative error by the Alaska Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and Division of Elections has put a Kodiak couple’s citizenship — and their future — at risk. The couple now faces possible deportation because they were wrongly registered to vote when they updated their driver’s licenses in 2022.

What Went Wrong

Eva Benedelova and Pavel Benedela, long‑time residents of Kodiak, expected to complete the final step in their citizenship process when they scheduled their oath ceremony. But their appointment was suddenly canceled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services after federal officials discovered they were registered to vote in Alaska — something only U.S. citizens are legally allowed to do.

According to the lawsuit the couple filed in Alaska federal court, the registration registration was created by the state even though the Benedelova family had clearly indicated on DMV forms that they were not U.S. citizens and did not want to be registered to vote. The suit argues that this error directly led to the cancellation of their citizenship ceremony and the looming threat of deportation.

A Broader Problem?

Their attorney says the issue isn’t isolated. Based on a timeline from the Alaska Division of Elections, fewer than 50 people — “mostly noncitizens” — were improperly registered to vote through DMV transactions like address updates or license renewals between 2022 and 2024. That suggests dozens of other residents may have experienced the same error without knowing it.

The lawsuit asks a federal judge to compel U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to take final action on the couple’s pending citizenship application, but the case highlights a troubling gap between state record‑keeping and federal immigration enforcement.

Why This Matters

Voter registration errors may seem bureaucratic or technical — but for immigrants navigating the path to citizenship, they can be life‑altering. Being registered to vote before your citizenship is official could trigger legal consequences far more serious than a simple administrative fix. The fear of deportation over something a couple didn’t do — and didn’t consent to — raises questions about how election systems handle sensitive immigration data and how easy it is for an error to have devastating personal consequences.

The Road Ahead

As the couple waits for a federal decision, their case has sparked concern and debate about DMV and election system safeguards. Without stronger checks on how voter registrations are processed — and clearer protections for non‑citizens — more people could find themselves in legal jeopardy due to administrative mistakes.