FIRST ON FOX: An African immigrant, who has reportedly participated in every federal election since 2008 despite residing illegally in the United States, has been apprehended, according to information obtained by Fox News Digital. This arrest comes amid heated deliberations in Congress over a proposal aimed at bolstering election integrity.

Mahady Sacko, a citizen of Mauritania, faces charges of voter fraud in Philadelphia as announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday.

“This criminal illegal alien committed a felony by voting in federal elections dating back to 2008. Illegal aliens should NOT be electing American leaders,” stated Lauren Bis, DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary. “Our elections belong to American citizens, not foreign citizens. Congress must pass the SAVE America Act immediately to secure our elections. The Senate must pass the SAVE America Act.”

Sacko, a 50-year-old Mauritanian, has been living in the U.S. unlawfully and is accused of casting fraudulent votes in federal elections since 2008, according to federal prosecutors.

Originally entering the United States in March 1998 through Miami, Sacko was ordered by an immigration judge to leave the country in 2000, as detailed in a federal criminal complaint reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Although Sacko appealed the deportation order, the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld the removal decision on November 14, 2002. Despite this, authorities report that Sacko remained in the U.S.

He was arrested by ICE in 2007, but was not deported because he didn’t have a passport from Mauritania and the agency was unable to obtain one for him, federal prosecutors said. As a result, he was placed on supervision and required to regularly report to ICE offices, which he complied with. 

Voters cast ballots inside a polling place. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

In May 2025, investigators obtained voting records for Philadelphia County from the Philadelphia City Commissioners (PCCO) and the Pennsylvania Department of State (DOS) via a subpoena.

Sacko registered to vote in 2005, and falsely stated on several occasions that he was a U.S. citizen, authorities allege. 

The voting records showed that he cast ballots in several federal elections, including during the general elections in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. In addition, he voted in the 2016 and 2020 primary elections, prosecutors said. 

He voted in person for every election, except for the 2020 primary, in which he voted by mail, the complaint states. 

The court documents feature several paper voter registration documents that Sacko allegedly filled out in which he provided his name, address, social security number, address, date of birth and affirmed that he was a U.S. citizen, prosecutors said. 

The Trump administration and Republicans have pushed for lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act, which would tighten voter registration and identification requirements to cast ballots in elections, namely proof of American citizenship to vote. 

Many Democrats contend the law would disenfranchise vulnerable populations from voting, citing the burden of getting documents needed for an ID, while supporters of the bill note that the vast majority of people use photo ID for everyday tasks. 

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