A man ordered removed from the United States in 2002 remained in the country illegally for more than two decades and voted in seven federal elections, according to federal authorities. DHS is calling on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, working in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has arrested Mahady Sacko, a Mauritanian national, on federal voter fraud charges in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Sacko entered the United States near Miami, Florida and was ordered removed by an Immigration Judge. He exhausted all available appeals, and the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld his removal order on November 14, 2002 — more than 23 years ago. Despite that final order, Sacko remained in the country illegally.
Federal authorities allege that Sacko has been casting ballots in U.S. federal elections since 2008 — seven separate elections across 16 years — by falsely certifying on his Pennsylvania voter registration that he is a U.S. citizen. Voting in a federal election while knowing one is not a U.S. citizen is a federal felony.
“This criminal illegal alien committed a felony by voting in federal elections dating back to 2008,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “Illegal aliens should NOT be electing American leaders. Our elections belong to American citizens, not foreign citizens. Congress must pass the SAVE America Act immediately to secure our elections.”
The SAVE America Act
DHS is using the arrest to amplify calls for passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — known as the SAVE America Act — which would require proof of U.S. citizenship at the time of voter registration for federal elections. The legislation has been advanced by Republican lawmakers as a response to concerns about non-citizen voter registration and participation in federal elections.
DHS framed the case as evidence of vulnerabilities in the current voter registration system and stated that the department is dedicated to preserving and protecting the integrity of American elections as fundamental to the constitutional republic.
The case remains under active investigation by ICE and the FBI. Additional details on charges and proceedings were not immediately released.
For more information on DHS election security efforts, visit dhs.gov.
