Election Law and Voter Fraud

A federal criminal complaint alleges that Mahady Sacko, a 50‑year‑old Mauritanian citizen living in the U.S. illegally, registered to vote in Philadelphia in 2005 by falsely claiming U.S. citizenship and then cast ballots in every federal general election from 2008 through 2024, as well as in the 2016 and 2020 primaries. According to DHS and prosecutors, Sacko entered the U.S. in 1998, was ordered removed in 2000 with that order affirmed in 2002, and was later detained by ICE in 2007 but not deported because authorities could not obtain a Mauritanian passport, after which he was released under supervision. Investigators say subpoenaed records from the Philadelphia City Commissioners and the Pennsylvania Department of State show he voted mostly in person, with one 2020 primary ballot cast by mail, and that he signed multiple registration documents affirming—falsely, they allege—that he was a citizen. DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis called him a "criminal illegal alien" and used the case to argue that "illegal aliens should NOT be electing American leaders" and to press Congress to pass President Trump’s SAVE America Act, which would impose stricter voter‑ID and proof‑of‑citizenship requirements. The case is already being cited in partisan debate over the prevalence of noncitizen voting: supporters of the bill portray it online as proof of systemic vulnerabilities, while critics point out that the charges stem from investigators catching a single alleged violator through existing records and warn against using one case to justify sweeping restrictions that could burden eligible voters.