Authorities in the United States say several non-citizens from countries including Mauritania, India and China have been accused of illegally voting in American elections.
One of the most recent cases involves Mahady Sacko, a 50-year-old Mauritanian national living in Philadelphia who investigators say had been marked for deportation since 2002. Sacko, who reportedly used the nickname “Sacko Scorpion”, was arrested last week in a joint operation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI. Authorities allege he falsely claimed to be a US citizen in order to register and vote in the 2024 election.
According to investigators, Sacko had voted in multiple elections since 2008 and was registered as a Democrat. Officials say he “falsely represented that he was a US citizen in order to vote and register to vote” in the most recent presidential contest, reports the New York Post.
When contacted by the New York Post, Sacko rejected the allegations. “Everything is a lie! They are lying about me!” he said before ending the call. He has not yet entered a plea.
The case comes as lawmakers in Washington debate the SAVE America Act, a Republican-backed bill that would require proof of citizenship such as a passport or birth certificate, when registering to vote in federal elections.
Several other cases have emerged in recent months. In Pennsylvania, Kaushalkumar Patel, a 47-year-old Indian citizen from Allentown, is due to stand trial for allegedly voting in the 2020 election.
His lawyer has said Patel has lived in the United States for two decades and is awaiting details of the government’s case.
In another incident, Haoxiang Gao, a 19-year-old Chinese national and student at the University of Michigan, was charged with illegally voting in the 2024 election. Authorities say Gao fled to China before facing trial, leaving the United States using a different passport after surrendering his original one in court.
Investigations have also uncovered cases involving non-citizens from Canada, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Ukraine and Iraq who allegedly voted despite not holding US citizenship.
