Overview
- Homeland Security Investigations and ICE arrested Mariana Alexandra Dewey and Anthony Tyrone Higgs after investigators say each admitted to voting while not a U.S. citizen; Dewey was taken into custody on Sept. 1 and Higgs was arrested on Sept. 3.
- Kansas records and DHS statements say Dewey, a Peruvian lawful permanent resident, admitted casting a provisional ballot in the Nov. 5, 2024 general election and later pleaded guilty to disorderly election conduct under Kansas law.
- HSI Atlanta and ICE say Higgs, a Bahamian national with a lengthy criminal record, illegally voted in the 2020 election and remains in ICE custody as officials move to strip his lawful permanent resident status and begin removal proceedings.
- DHS and the U.S. attorney’s office are using these cases to emphasize a broader enforcement push that cites thousands of database 'matches' while critics note that large match counts shrink sharply after state audits and face legal challenges over accuracy and voter privacy.
- The arrests feed political momentum for proposals like the SAVE America Act and are drawing state election officials’ objections and civil‑rights lawsuits, which could affect how federal immigration and voter databases are used going forward.