Federal authorities made arrests in a string of election-related indictments against noncitizens in recent weeks, colliding with Democratic claims ranging from such voting being “extremely rare” to assertions that it simply “doesn’t happen.”
The cases come amid a partisan fight over the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. Democrats argue the measure would make voting harder for eligible Americans.
“Let me be perfectly clear: This is a non-issue. Noncitizens do not vote in U.S. elections,” Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., declared in 2025 after voting ‘no’ on the bill at the time.
Three noncitizens were arrested this month in Philadelphia County, which Scanlon partially represents, and charged with election-related offenses.
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Trinidad and Tobago national Sade Guppy allegedly voted illegally in the 2022 midterms, while Haitian illegal immigrant Cliff Sanon was charged with submitting a fraudulent voter registration application prior to the 2026 Pennsylvania primary.
DHS also pointed Fox News Digital to Mauritanian illegal immigrant Mahady Sacko, who is accused of voting in seven federal elections since 2008.
Fox News Digital reached out to Scanlon for comment.
On Wednesday, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced indictments of 10 foreign nationals accused of committing voter fraud in Minnesota alone, including during August’s primary, saying the issue should not be a “partisan concept.”
The alleged illegal voters captured are from Brazil, Ghana, Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Liberia and Canada.
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., has similarly called noncitizen voting “extremely rare” while denouncing the SAVE Act as “anti-voter” and claiming Trump is trying to “scapegoat immigrants.”
When asked Wednesday by Fox News Digital about the spate of arrests, Padilla reaffirmed the crime is “already illegal and every legitimate study shows it is extremely rare, despite Donald Trump’s claim to the contrary.”
“The Department of Justice’s arrest of a dozen people after investigating millions of the 174 million registered voters in America confirms that,” he said, adding he wished the DOJ would instead focus on reported delays in voter-registration processing in states like Texas to ensure every eligible voter can vote.
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Padilla called the recent announcement of 12 arrests a “desperate attempt by Republicans to distract from their record of rising costs, chaos, and corruption that are hurting the American people.”
Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., has called the SAVE Act “extremely dangerous” and “voter suppression.” His office responded to Fox News Digital but did not offer comment before press time.
Last month, Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw of Fairfax County, Virginia, spoke out similarly on MS NOW.
“It is so rare that it’s almost impossible to measure. It just doesn’t happen,” Walkinshaw said, surmising that Trump is trying to resurrect the “Big Lie” and “whining about the fact that he lost the 2020 election” by posturing to make similar claims after Republicans lose the midterms.
Fox News Digital also sought comment from Walkinshaw and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who said in March that “noncitizens do not vote in American elections.”
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill also disclosed over the summer that roughly 400 noncitizens had voted in the state while resisting calls for additional federal scrutiny.
Three New Jersey residents were also charged this month with illegally voting and making false statements on citizenship applications. They hailed from Jamaica, Venezuela and Senegal.
Asked about the dynamic, a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital the agency could not comment on active investigations but remains committed to “rooting out and investigating election fraud wherever it can be found,” demonstrating proof.
“Despite the media and Democrats denying it for decades, noncitizens continue to register and vote in federal elections,” White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital.
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“Only Americans should be electing America’s leaders,” she said, as clamoring from both sides of the issue grows louder ahead of key midterm elections.
Fox News’ William Mears Jr. contributed to this report.
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