Federal authorities arrested nearly a dozen non-citizens for allegedly voting in U.S. elections, some casting ballots for decades while immigration orders went unenforced, according to joint operations between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI.
Decades of Illegal Voting Alleged
Mahady Sacko, a 50-year-old Mauritanian national marked for deportation since 2002, remained in the country as a registered Democrat who voted in every election since 2008, authorities claim. Federal agents arrested him in Philadelphia last week for allegedly falsely claiming citizenship to vote in the 2024 presidential election. Sacko denied the charges when contacted, calling them lies before ending the call. He has not entered a plea.
Illegal immigrant charged with fraudulent voting in Pennsylvania's last 5 presidential elections. The Philadelphia resident, Mahady Sacko, 50, ordered deported in 2000, unlawfully voted in 2024 and falsely claimed citizenship, per U.S. Attorney's Office. FBI records show he also… pic.twitter.com/eS22TMB5w1
— The SCIF (@TheSCIF) March 7, 2026
The arrests come as Congress considers the SAVE Act to strengthen election security. J. Christian Adams, president of Public Interest Legal Foundation, said the true scope of non-citizen voting remains unknown. Approximately 14 million people live legally in the United States but lack citizenship, according to Pew Research Center. These residents hold work permits and visas but cannot legally vote.
Multiple States Report Cases
Pennsylvania authorities charged Indian citizen Kaushalkumar Patel, 47, of Allentown with voting illegally in the 2020 election. His trial begins this month. Canadian national Denis Bouchard, 70, pleaded guilty on March 6 to falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to vote in North Carolina’s 2022 and 2024 elections. He faces ten years in prison. Records show someone matching his name and age voted in every election since 2004.
Chinese national Haoxiang Gao, 19, a University of Michigan student, was charged with illegal voting in June but fled to China using a second passport with a different serial number after surrendering his first passport to the court. He remains wanted. Michigan voter rolls still list him as an active voter.
Arkansas Prosecutions Move Forward
Arkansas arrested three individuals in October for voting without citizenship. Cecilia Casellanos, 59, a Cuban national and registered Democrat with a removal order dating to 1999, pleaded guilty to perjury and voter fraud on January 13. She had three prior felony convictions in New York. Zlata Risley, 50, from Kazakhstan and registered Republican, pleaded guilty and received probation. Nigerian citizen Chi Baum, 59, also faces charges for voting illegally in 2024. Both were lawful residents but not citizens.